Even More Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?
by Lord Purple Heart
Summary: Takes place after the last episode of the anime. The No-Names are rejoicing in their victory over the demons and reveling in their spoils of victory. But when even more heroes with their own powerful Gifts fall from the sky, what will happen? Love? Hate? Read and find out. I don't know what rating I'm going to make this, but I will place M to be safe.
1. Prologue: Celebration

Even More Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?

Prologue: Celebration

"...so? What's the plan now?" I asked Jin.

Now that we had defeated that Demon Lord and her minions of the Hamelin River, our community of no names has been celebrating our success. And rightly so, I couldn't really blame them. After all, the Demon Lords were forces to be feared in the Little Garden.

In my opinion though, they aren't all that tough.

"What do you mean? Plan?" Jin just gave me this quizzical and clueless look as he tore a bite from his grilled meat.

I couldn't help but sigh in response.

"You're supposed to be the leader of the No-Names, he who led the charge and defeated Perseus and the Demon of the Legend of The Pied Piper, Jin Russel! Don't tell me that you have forgotten about this legendary conquest that no other community of our rank could have accomplished!" I spread my arms and extended them towards the sky as I spoke, feeling the aura of a grand accomplishment seeping into my arms.

"Please don't give me such a grand introduction. It will make things harder to live up to in the future." Jin replied with a troubled smile before he took another mouthful of barbecue.

It's already been three months after all that had happened.

The No-Names have been taking it easy and living peacefully. Thanks to the fame that we had gathered from defeating Perseus, smaller communities have sought to establish connections with the No-Names. Slowly, our community had begun to rise higher and higher from its current position. From being a small community that formerly traded for water and other necessities just to survive, we now had a large amount of citizens that kept working to raise our economy and living standards even further.

Things were looking up for us, I had to admit. And Jin would definitely say the same since he was the leader of the No-Names.

Since the defeat of the Demon Lord and her minions, the No-Names were really making a name for themselves. As the newly christened President of the No-Names' community's government, he usually spent every day speaking with the townsfolk about problems their problems.

But in my personal opinion, things have begun to get boring. I couldn't even fool around with Black Rabbit anymore, who was acting in as Jin's Vice President and foremost adviser. Like Jin, she was kept busy with work. But instead of the meetings, she was cornered to the wall with loads of paperwork.

She was also the manager for the Gift Games that I, Izayoi Sakamaki, had to participate in. Asuka Kudou and You Kasukabe were no exception to this either.

And she is the reason that I am stuck several stories underground, boring my mind out of my skull as I dodged training dummies and practice partners with ease.

Ever since she put us on a constant training regimen, I had changed my old outfit. Thanks to the repetitive battling, my blue and yellow clothes had been ripped to shreds. Now, I wore a navy blue long-sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of slacks that was a shade lighter than my shirt. Over it, I wore a long cobalt leather coat that flowed to the ground.

Thankfully, Shiroyasha had made it for me, so it was reinforced by powerful magic and comfortable material as well.

I was also donning dark blue fingerless leather gloves that had metal-studded knuckles on them. My sneakers that I had brought from my old world had been wrecked in the last battle, so I was now using a pair of blue boots. The only thing that had survived the months of battle was my pair of headphones, attached constantly to my head.

"Hey, hey. Can't you guys give me a challenge?" I asked them mockingly as I sidestepped one person's sword swing. Casually swinging my arm, I struck his chest and sent him flying. He shot past his allies and slammed into the hard rock wall, shooting dust and fragments of the hard rock wall flying. The enemies around me began stepping back in hesitation and fear before turning attention to my other comrades. Without a word, they bolted and dashed towards their next target.

_Boring guys. _

I decided to lower my fists and place them in my pockets, and I began walked towards the rest of the battle. And I watched.

Asuka Kudou.

A girl with a background that reeked of power and money, but didn't reflect in her unexpectedly kind and sensitive actions. Asuka is a commanding, strong and blunt girl who isn't afraid to get in a fight if it means defending her friends and her beliefs. An unexpected personality for a rich girl, in my opinion.

She was garbed in the same dress that Black Rabbit had given her months ago, which was a beautiful and elegant scarlet. Her brown hair fluttered down to her waist, complemented by a red bow. She also bore red and white gloves and crimson high-heeled shoes.

She certainly looked the rich-girl part, that's for sure.

Like me, she also fell from the sky into Little Garden. Unlike my favorite fighting style, which consisted of beating the enemy up with my own fists and kicks, she fought in a more roundabout manner.

Her Gift, Authority, was capable of forcing other people to obey her commands, whether they like it or not. This can extend to animals and even things that are not alive. She also had a rapier for close quarters combat, but I hardly ever see her use it nowadays.

That's because of the Gift that the lost community Rattenfanger had bestowed upon her has been her favorite weapon to use against her opponents recently, no matter how unfair it was for her enemies.

"You weaklings can't really be thinking that you have a snowball's chance in hell against Deen, do you?" I could hear her sneering and gloating on the top of her living weapon as it devastated the men below with punches and kicks that broke and upturned the earth with terrifying ease.

Deen.

A massive red golem that was extremely tall and was made of something I couldn't really identify. Either it was metal or really shiny rock, and I couldn't tell which. He was built like a wrestler without a neck, large and burly, and his fingers were the size of men. He was equipped with a single red eye that glowed in the darkness of his bulky helmet, which was also capable of firing an extremely powerful laser that could melt and blast through rock and metal with frightening speed and power.

And for some reason, the only thing he could say was his name.

I could see Asuka on Deen's shoulder as she surveyed the battlefield with a smug smile. I could swear that she's a sadist, except that she only adopts that behavior when she fights.

"At least she's having fun." I decided to ignore her for now and focus on the other member of our team.

There was a large crowd of men circling her, but she was eliminating them one by one with speed and power that they couldn't hope to match.

You Kasukabe.

A quiet girl who never really stands out much, but has a strong will and resolution unlike most. Her love for her friends is what usually gives her strength, and I'm honestly surprised at how effective it becomes for her as a source of power in battle.

Ever since she had started undergoing her harsh training regimen that had been initiated a month ago, Kasukabe had started wearing a full leather suit that was white in color. She had goggles strapped to the top of her head, and her necklace was implanted into the middle of her suit. She also wore sky blue leather gloves and boots. The looks was complete when she had dyed a few streaks of her short hair white as well.

As she dispatched a large werewolf in a single blow before taking down a well-built ogre single-handedly, I couldn't help but admire her gift.

Her Gift, Genome Tree, was not an inborn skill unlike mine and Asuka's. Instead, it was bestowed upon her by her father in the form of a carved wooden medallion. With it, she had the power to speak and understand animals. Which is why her constant companion is a cat.

But she is also capable of duplicating the abilities and traits of the creatures she befriends and use them for her own. The ability to travel through the air, for example, was one that she had obtained through her defeat of a mighty Griffin that the Demon Lord Shiroyasha had conjured up.

Thanks to the massive amount of strength that she had copied from an elephant she has supposedly befriended back in her world, she easily took down the rest of the men around her with little difficulty. As we locked eyes, she smiled and waved.

_Looks like we're done here. _

"Hold it right there, Izayoi!" Suddenly, Asuka's voice boomed across the room and reached my ears through my headphones.

"What do you want, sadist princess on cloud nine?" I shot back at her, giving her a sneer.

"Don't give me that, Izayoi. Why did you stop fighting? We fight as a team, you know. I won't have you slacking off in the midst of a battle."

"It's not like that at all. They ran from me and decided to pick you guys as targets instead. We promised not to interfere with each other's individual battles, right?" I picked out a few words and hurled them at Asuka, waiting to see her response.

"While that might be true, those practice dummies were for you to defeat! Why did you let them pick on us when they were your prey, you truant!"

I felt my eyebrow tense a bit.

_Damn, this girl's really trying to get on my nerves. _

And it felt like it was working.

As difficult as it felt, I reined in the irritation I was feeling and replaced it with calm. As much as I hate to admit it, Asuka and I were most practically intellectual equals. And if she ropes me into one of her schemes, then I'm just playing the fool.

"Calm down. If I'm not careful, then I might disrupt the flow of battle and change it into one that you might not be happy with. You seemed to be enjoying your mindless slaughter from a moment ago, you sadistisc rich girl. Didn't wanna ruin it."

_That oughta do it. _

And indeed it did.

Instantly, I felt her rage explode for a moment as it was sent through the air. It waved through the tense atmosphere like tentacles. Kasukabe stepped back a bit, as she could clearly sense the killing intent that Asuka was overflowing with.

And just like that, it stopped.

_Oh, she's good at plugging the cork. _

"...well, it'll waste time to argue over something that you can fix easily next time. Just don't get too full of yourself, Izayoi. It can be bad for you and for both me and Kasukabe." She said unexpectedly calmly, and then smiled.

"Now, shall we see what Leticia is making for us?"

_Ah, I see. She's looking forward to seeing her favorite blond maid, so she's not too mad. _

She skipped giddily towards the staircase, humming a cheery tune that I could tell came from where she used to live. I had already gotten used to how much she adored the little vampire maid, but sometimes I wonder just how sane she is.

"Well, I am hungry. Might as well see what's to eat." I resigned myself to it and began walking towards the stairs as well. Placing my hands behind my head, I sighed tiredly.

A tug on my shirt.

I turned around, and Kasukabe smiled at me.

"It's fun, isn't it?"

I couldn't help but smile back. Reflexively, I began petting her head as if she were a cat or my sister.

"Yeah. I guess."

"That's good. It's better that way." She said with a softness that reminded me vividly that she was a girl. Patting me on the back, she rushed ahead of me and ran up the steps energetically. Her cat Calico meowed in complaint and leaped up the stairs after her.

I couldn't help but sigh as I saw that before I began traveling up the steps myself.

I found myself wishing for things to get more interesting.

* * *

"Ah. You've finished your practice duel, my lady?"

Every time I see Leticia in her maid outfit, I couldn't help but smile inwardly. The proud vampire, once a powerful member of Little Garden's fighting force, was now catering to our daily needs.

It was almost as if she had wanted to become a maid in the first place. That thought disturbs me a bit.

"Yes, Leticia. Please serve our breakfast." Asuka replied in kind, a satisfied twinkle in her eyes as she watched the graceful demon gently set our plates on the table.

I eyed my own food, bacon and eggs, very hungrily as Leticia placed it in front of me. Off to the side, I could see the hand of another maid placing a glass of water to my left.

"Please enjoy your meal, Sir Izayoi."

The person who had just handed me a beverage was none other than the Demon Lord that we had defeated months ago, Pest. After her loss, she had become a maid at our household alongside Leticia. The vampire welcomed the other demonic presence with warm acceptance, and took kindly to teaching her how to handle the chores and other tasks around the establishment.

However, she seems to have taking a liking to me. I could tell by the suspicious glint in her eyes every time that they she looked at me, whether or not I was paying attention.

"Mm. Thanks." I showed my genuine appreciation by rubbing the top of her head like a cat's. She began purring in response, even nuzzling against my hand like she enjoyed it. From the looks of things, she did.

"Izayoi. I would prefer it if you refrained from doing such things at the table." Asuka instantly reprimanded me, pointing her finger at me as she did.

"I don't know why you seem so against it. After all, it doesn't seem like it'll affect you any." I responded, and I couldn't help but wonder as if this was similar to the relationship between a younger brother and older sister.

"It's bad manners, especially where I come from. I suggest you don't."

"I don't see why you should be getting in my way." I don't know why, but a burning sensation began to rise up in my chest.

I felt really irritated.

"And anyway, where do you get off?!" I suddenly realized that I had stood up, and my voice had risen to a shout.

"...why are you so upset? I'm the one who's supposed to be mouthing off he-"

"I don't want you reminding me about every single thing I'm supposed to be doing! We had an agreement from day one, Kudou! Each of us live by our own rules. Just together, but not bound. But now, you've been on your damn high horse for a few months now. I'm actually getting pretty damn si-"

Suddenly, I felt a really strong tug on my sleeve.

"Please. Don't fight." Kasukabe's quiet voice pleaded through the hall, her tone desperate. The dining hall was filled with quiet, nothing but the sound of our breathing.

My eyes locked onto Asuka, but she faced away. Her eyes were averted as well, facing the ground. Her hands found their way to her back, meeting there.

"...sorry." Was the only thing that she said. Her voice was wavering, and filled with guilt. It felt completely unexpected, something I never thought would happen. The proud Asuka Kudou, with the Gift of Authority, guiltily apologizing.

I couldn't stay mad at her when she was even beginning to tear and her face was reddening, although I couldn't quite comprehend why.

"Ah, forget it. Just remember our agreement, and we'll be peachy." I let her off, and I took the glass of water off its perch. I downed it in one gulp, and I walked off. I traveled to the door and threw it open.

_I think I need to let off some steam. _

I turned to the direction of a very important place. One I couldn't forget, even when I tried.

The lake I fell into when I first came to Little Garden.

"Ha!"

I let loose a punch laced with the energy and emotion I had built up under the past few months. I felt a whistle fly through the wind as my fist flew through the air. It struck the tree in front of me with devastating ferocity, the wind blow-back alone being able to snap branches off. My hand broke the solid wood as easily as a pencil punches through a sheet of paper. The bark fragments sailed amidst the air like shotgun pellets, striking other trees and digging holes five inches deep.

I felt a feeling of relief shoot through my system as I demolished the vegetation with ease. I shook my hand in refreshment as the branches and leaves struck the ground, making an explosion that could be heard for miles.

_I figure that oughta attract some attention. _

Breathing a sigh, I turned around and stared at the lake. The serene water surface, clear and spotless like a sheet of glass, brought calm to me. Gazing at it actually began to bring back the nostalgia of when I had first come to Little Garden.

_Right...I fell here. And when I did, we encountered- _

"Izayoi." A familiar voice spoke out to me from behind, and I smiled.

"Well, I didn't expect for you of all people to follow me here. Black Rabbit."

I turned around and she was standing in front of me. The Judge Master of the No-Names, Black Rabbit. She stood with her feet planted apart, her hands on her hips and her ears swaying from side to side in the air.

"And just what do you think you're doing here, Izayoi?" She addressed me like a mother with her finger pointed accusingly at my chest, as if I had done something I shouldn't have.

"Is there anything wrong with going all the way out here to enjoy the scenery?" I replied, placing my hand on my waist.

"We both know you're not usually the type to do things like that. You're usually far more barbaric." She threw some pretty accusing words at me, but I let them slide off my ears like water.

"That's pretty shallow of you. Even I have my quiet and nostalgic moments. Surely you of all people would remember just exactly where we are."

She stopped glaring at me and took in the scene around us, slowly absorbing the moment. Eventually, her eyes lit up and her mouth opened slightly. Her cheeks blushed a bit and her lips contorted into a smile.

"...to think that you'd remember."

"Of course I would." I shot back, placing a hand on my waist as I tore my eyes away from her form to look up at the sky. "The three of us fell from all the way up there, for god knows why. We ended up landing in this massive lake and trying to kill you. Afterwards, we ended up becoming part of the No-Names. And we all know the rest."

"It sure brings back memories. Back when I wasn't flooded with loads of work, and when we were just a small community. Jin was trying to keep it all together, and we had no idea how long we would last. Galdo was really trying undermine us back then, before the three of you defeated him." Black Rabbit added, looking up to the sky as well.

We stood there in silence, basking in the quiet of the forest and the stillness of the lake. My eyes closed, and I saw nothing but the incidents of the past repeating through my mind. The duel with Perseus and Algol, the defeat of Galdo, the duel of Kasukabe and our victory against Pest. They all filled me with a sense of satisfaction, that I had could look back on them with a certain fondness. Memories that I could be proud to call mine.

"Hey, Black Rabbit."

"Yes?"

"...will there be more people with Gifts that will fall from the sky like we did?"

My eyes were shut, so I couldn't see anything that she might have done. All I heard was her reply.

"...only time will tell, Izayoi."

Suddenly, a bright flash painted the whole forest around us white. I shielded my eyes that were forced to squint through the light as I tried to get a good handle on the situation. Black Rabbit, beside me, was watching the sky as well without trying to go blind.

The wind around us began to pick up and escalate, becoming faster and faster as it rotated around the lake. I could hear a light hum in the air as the light began to die down.

Slowly, the brightness faded away and returned the world to its normal colors. Nothing but the sound of the rustling leaves dominated the silence.

"Hey, Black Rabbit. What was that supposed to be?" I felt completely dumbfounded, for once. I had never expected such a thing to happen, and out here of all places.

"...unbelievable. I didn't think..."

I took a good look at her face. Black Rabbit was staring really high into the deep blue of the sky, a look of astonishment on her face. Her ears twitched and jerked in agitation, and her tail was standing on end. Her eyes were wide and so was her mouth.

_What's wrong? _

I had no idea what she was looking at, so I decided to look back up. The sky was the normal light blue it always was. There were a few clouds to the west, and the high rising buildings of the Eastern section of Little Garden could be faintly outlined if one looked closely.

I looked higher up, where there was nothing but the sky, until I was craning my neck really hard.

"I don't see..." I began, then I felt my words stop in my throat as my eyes fixed on something.

I could barely make out two small dots that were clearly out of place amongst the canvas of the sky. I squinted a bit, and I could make out that they were moving. They were very slowly inching their way across the sky, and I didn't yet understand what exactly was happening.

"Black Rabbit, what's going on?" I turned back to the Judge Master next to me, walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders. That seemed to snap her out of her daze, as she began to blink and her eyes no longer seemed unfocused.

And she reacted.

"I-Izayoi, what do you think you're doing?!" Suddenly, Black Rabbit cried out and reflexively slapped me across the face. She then proceeded to plant both legs onto my chest and jump off, kicking me into the ground at the same time. I felt my back smash violently into the grass, and then dig hard into the solid earth below.

I groaned in pain and picked myself up. I jumped out of the hole my body had made and stared at Black Rabbit. It's utterly inconceivable for Black Rabbit to lose her cool like that, even when she's been mad at me.

"Hey, what's your deal?" I felt like she had finally gotten a few screws loose in her head.

"Oh! M-my apologies, Izayoi! I was just- wait, this isn't the time to be fooling around. Quickly, bring Kasukabe and Asuka here!"

I was about to reply with another question, but the look in her eyes stopped me. I wanted to know what was going on, but I was forced to halt the words. Black Rabbit's eyes were widened in surprise and anticipation, as if she were warring with herself on the inside. It was as if...

It was as if she were happy and sad at the same time and didn't know which was more important.

Without another word, I turned in the direction of our Community and running.

_I don't know what's happening...but I have the feeling that things are going to get more interesting from here on out. _


	2. Chapter 1: Collision

Chapter 1: Collision

"Hey, Asuka! Kasukabe!"

Feeling the hard ground under my feet, I called out my comrades as I landed in front of the mansion. I felt the earth buckle and crack under my heels striking the grass, and I wobbled and felt my balance come off center slightly. Righting myself, I pushed my foot off the ground and ran up the steps of the shining marble. Throwing the front door open, I thrust my head inside.

Looking up, I could see Asuka and Kasukabe dashing down the long stairs. Their eyes pierced into me with accusing and surprised looks. When they screeched to a stop in front of me, Asuka took a deep breath to recover and placed her hands on her hips.

"What's the issue, Izayoi? We were busy with-"

My body was functioning on autopilot, without me thinking to move at that moment. I watched my arm reach out and grab Asuka's forearm and pull her towards me. Before she could react, I scooped her legs up in my other arm and spun on my heel. My legs threw me out the door with a strong leap, and I decided to give up and just carry her there.

However, Asuka was not as willing as the time would allow, once the situation had made itself clear in her mind.

"Wh-what do you think you're doing, you pervert?!" With a cry, she began attempting to wriggle free of my arms. Striking my face repeatedly, I felt my vision blur slightly as her hand continuously slapped my left cheek.

"No time. We have to get to Black Rabbit. Something that I don't understand yet is taking place as we speak."

Hearing me, Asuka calmed down slightly. As I leaped and sped through the air to reduce the time we took, Asuka began tightly gripping my sleeve. She looked away from me, perhaps at the trees or the sky.

Something to distract her from her current situation, I guess.

"...Izayoi, I'll kill you if you drop me or make me hit a tree." Asuka's voice became small and subdued, to my complete surprise. As if she had decided to just give up and let me carry her all the way.

"Be careful, Izayoi. Otherwise, her head will strike the branches." I could hear Kasukabe's voice warn me, like a sister would warn her little brother, over my shoulder.

"If anything, I'd find it really interesting if it happened. Have little miss rich girl get hit by a stick." I teased her, maneuvering her body around as I went, so that her hair would just slightly brush a branch. She yelped in response and smacked the top of my head hard. I just laughed and brushed it off.

I looked up at the sky, to see if I could still spot the falling dots from earlier. True enough, they were still there. They were now glowing slightly, as well. I felt a little bit of sweat fall down my brow.

As the trees in the corner of my eyes fell away from view, I spotted Black Rabbit in the middle of the clearing near the lake.

I let my weight take over, and Asuka and I fell back down to the earth like gravity had suddenly taken over and multiplied by the dozen. My boots struck the surface with a solid thud, digging deep into the brown soil. I felt my teeth grit as I struggled to maintain my balance so that Asuka and I wouldn't fall over.

Worst case scenario: I could fall over with Asuka and touch something I'm not supposed to.

"Asuka! Quickly, to Black Rabbit!" With a shout, I heaved my arms and tossed the girl out of my arms. I flailed my now freed arms and braced them against the ground to avoid falling over completely.

_Safe. _

I felt a sigh of relief escape my lips as I stood back up.

Or rather, I tried to stand up before I felt a heavy and strong object strike me squarely in the back. Caught off guard, I felt my body give way and hit the ground hard. I felt my back cave inwards, pressing against the ground as a heavy weight pushed me down.

"Oh, sorry. I kinda fazed out for a bit." I heard Kasukabe's voice above me, then the weight vanished. Pushing myself up and brushing myself off, I decided to ignore Kasukabe and turn my eyes towards Black Rabbit.

Black Rabbit was now frantically casting her eyes from us and back to us, her ears twitching and jerking back and forth.

"Why are you panicking, Black Rabbit? You haven't even told us what's happening, even if I can guess what it is."

Two dots falling from the sky.

Similar to how Asuka, Kasukabe and I had arrived in Little Garden. It was the closest analogy...yet something seemed wrong.

"...you see, I had sent for five guests to come to Little Garden all those months ago. But I was thrilled enough when just the three of you had arrived, so I decided to attend to you first." Black Rabbit confessed, her ears drooping a bit downwards.

"...and so? I still don't get something." Kasukabe spoke up, even raising her hand like a student in class asking her teacher a question. "How come they didn't show up earlier, like us?"

"Well...do you recall those letters that you received?" Black Rabbit asked us in return.

I remember the letter that I had received. I had thought it an invitation to something interesting, no doubt. I opened it without thinking twice, and I found myself falling from the sky into a cold lake.

"Well, you have to open that letter before you are transported to Little Garden. And I suppose that the other two had not opened their letters yet, so they didn't come with you." Black Rabbit explained hurriedly, her eyes wavering and her hands all over the place.

_I don't understand why it took them this long. _

"I don't see why it took such a long time if they got the letter at the same time as us. And besides, they're coming in the same way that we did. There's no need to fuss, right?" I decided to just ask Black Rabbit.

But judging by the situation, I could see why she would be a little distressed.

After all, those two falling from the sky were not heading towards the lake that I had fallen in before. There was a chance of them dying the instant they hit Little Garden territory. In fact, they were headed for a collision course in the forest nearby. If they weren't stopped of redirected within the next few minutes, we'd end up with blood and bones all over the forest floor.

"So...are we supposed to save them? They're going to die if they hit the ground, right?" I asked to Black Rabbit, pointing my finger at the descending people as if I were referring to catching a falling apple.

"Please don't be so casual about this! Yes! Please save them! We may gain more community members that can fight in the Gift Games for us!" Black Rabbit pleaded with me, somehow simultaneously sounding angry and pitiful. Her fists were clenched, and her worried expression gazed into my eyes as if she couldn't stand the anxiety any more.

"Well, this ought to be interesting anyway. Having more people around should liven things up a bit." I muttered this to myself before facing my body towards the forms creating a falling streak across the aquamarine sky.

"Asuka. Kasukabe. You take care of the one falling on my left. I'll handle the other one." I wasted no time waiting for their response as I clenched my fists and sprinted towards the forest.

I felt my own lips twist into a smirk as I trained my sight onto the rightmost person. No matter how hard I tried to squint, the glow around the person's body was preventing me from properly identifying the finer details.

"Tch." I sucked my teeth in irritation before switching my gaze to an extremely tall tree. It rose extremely high, one of the taller trees in the whole of the forest. It's branches also shot out from various sides of it at different heights, making it appear like an extremely old and powerful symbol.

Jumping, I grabbed branches and vaulted over them with speed similar to a monkey's. I could feel the wood, hard and splintery, dig into my fingers as I pulled my body up higher and higher. Ignoring the unpleasant sensation, I reached the top branch of the tree and planted both of my feet into the tree's surface.

I locked my eyes once again on the falling form, now getting dangerously close to the ground. I felt my body tense as I waited and waited for the proper moment. My eyesight tracked the comet-like movement until-

_Now!_

Dashing with as much strength as my legs and my body would allow me, I found myself on the edge of the branch in a split second. Narrowing my eyebrows, I stomped my right foot as hard as I could and leaped off of the branch with all of my might. The reaction of the tree behind me was to crack and crumble the instant I kicked myself off of it.

As I sailed through the air, I began to close in more and more on the falling human. My body cut through the wind easily, and I managed to get close enough to see the person clearly.

It was a girl.

She was curled up in a fetal position, and her eyes were closed as if she were asleep. Her back faced the ground below us, and I blinked in surprise for a moment.

Before I could process anything else, I stretched my arms out towards the girl. Thanks to the way her body was angled while falling, I caught her quite easily. My arms cradled her stomach, and I could feel the back of her head and her hair press against my forehead.

I felt that time had stopped for a moment.

A sweet, fragrant scent that seemed reminiscent of flowers wafted into my nostrils. A soft sensation pressed against my hands and my upper body.

The good news: I caught her.

However, the instant time began to resume, I closed my eyes.

After all, with time comes gravity.

I felt numerous painful scratches and scrapes become pronounced onto my back as tree after tree broke under our fall. Holding the stranger more securely, I pressed my teeth together as the branches twigs struck my body repeatedly not unlike a whip. I suddenly realized that I was beginning to reflexively close my eyes.

After what seemed like forever, I suddenly realized that the world had become cold. All around me, the temperature had dropped around me as if snow had fallen. Opening my eyes, nothing but the bottom of a seabed greeted me. Bubbles and seaweed rose and tried to obscure my vision, and I shook my head to clear my eyes.

_This is bad. I'm going to run out of air, and so is she. _

My eyes darted back to the girl in my arms, and I tightened my grip on her body. Bracing my legs, I leaped from the muddy underwater ground. As we breached the surface, I felt the intense weight on my arms and legs lessen.

Arcing back down, I landed on my two feet on the grassy plain below us.

I took a look around me. The forest was bare, no one else in sight. Nothing but trees

_Are Black Rabbit and the others not done yet?_

I turned my attention back to the girl and set her down on the soft grass. Her eyes were still closed and her body was still. She wasn't moving, not even her chest was rising and falling.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked her. But my voice wasn't reaching her, and her eye remained closed.

I poked her face a bit, but she didn't respond. Not even a twitch of the face or the eyes, or any movement of her fingers. Not one movement.

_This is bad. If I don't do something, she might really end up dead. _

I sized her up.

The girl was clearly a teenager. Her hair was a dark shade of blue, similar to the cobalt that I now wore, and reached down to the back of her neck. Her bangs fell around her face, which was made up of fair-colored skin. Her light eyebrows were the same color as her hair.

She was wearing a light brown vest over a white blouse, and a pair of brown leggings. On her feet, she was equipped with light brown leather boots. On her back was a quiver full of dampened arrows and a cracked bow, which looked useless now. On her waist, there was a belt with daggers and throwing knives strapped to it.

My gaze drifted to the girl's chest area, which was not rising and falling as it should. It was a very clear sign that she wasn't breathing at all, and that the possibility of her being "dead-on-arrival" was pronounced and cannot be ignored.

My eyes then made their way to her lips.

_What is the way to get someone to start breathing again? _

CPR.

No other efficient solution reached out to my mind, so I decided to just go with it. Lowering my body, I closed in on the unconscious girl's mouth. Locking her lips with mine, I savored the soft feeling that it gave me for a little moment.

The warmth that threatened to melt my brain, one that I have had yet to properly experience.

The softness of a girl's lips, like velvet slipping in and out of my mouth. Her tongue, slippery and smooth as it lolled back limply in her mouth.

_Wait, I can't focus on that. _

Inhaling with my nose, I began exhaling air into the girl's lungs. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw her chest begin to rise and fall as I continued to breathe into her.

I kept my concentration on her body warmth, which was still dangerously below mine. As I continued to breath into her mouth, I could feel the slight difference in her temperature.

I shifted my attention to her chest area, and I removed my hands from the grass and placed them onto her breasts. The soft sensation, elastic and soft under my fingers, started to burn itself into my brain. I shook my head to try and get rid of the distraction, instead training my attention on her breathing.

One.

Two.

I placed pressure on her chest in one movement, pushing it down. I felt the air exit from the girl's lips.

Still not breathing.

I pressed again, then again. Then a third time.

Suddenly, her eyes shot wide open at bullet-like speed, filled with surprise. She instantly sat up and doubled over, hacking and spitting water. Now, the air was filled with the surprisingly cute sounds of a woman lightly coughing.

I sat there, waiting for her to finish clearing her system of the intrusive liquid. I heard her sigh and take a deep breath. The grass underneath rustled as she turned and faced me, sitting with her legs crossed in the "indian-sit" position.

"Whoa, who are you?" Her eyes, a deep dark green, peered at me with a curious look not unlike a dog's. Her head twisted sideways in a completely harmless and inquisitive manner.

I stood up on my feet and walked to the edge of the lake.

"I'm dangerous, unrefined, troublesome and the name is Izayoi Sakamaki. I'm also crude, vicious and hedonistic. So I suggest you read all of the warning labels before you mess with me, miss."

What I didn't expect to hear was a laugh in response.

Suddenly, the earth around me exploded in a fit of dust and rock. I jumped up and cleared my eyes before landing a stone's throw away. In the midst of the cracked ground, the gaps and lines of the ground glowed with a faint light.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew in and tossed the dust away. With the view clear, I could now see the girl.

She was standing on her own two feet. Her right hand was thrust towards the spot that I had just been occupying, and was also faintly shining with a blue aura. Her other hand was also coated in the same essence. She gave me a completely unfitting cheery smile and placed her hands on her hips.

"I love seeing guys like you, the ones that actually seem strong!"

She pounded her fists together, and the wind picked up its speed around us. The earth rumbled slightly, and I could feel the power in the air.

_This looks like it's going to get real interesting._

"The name is Sakura Hime, combat mage and problem child!" With nothing else, she dashed to me and stretched her palm in front of my chest.

She didn't strike me.

Instead, I suddenly felt a massive blast of wind push my body back. I felt the hard wood splinter and shatter into my backside, then I felt the tree snap under me and collapse over me.

I let my hand reflexively bat away the massive tree branches, and they sailed to the right. Crashing into more forestry, I stood up and grinned back at my sudden opponent.

"Looks like you're strong." I let my thoughts get the better of me, and I blurted that out without consideration. I raised my hands up, in front of my body, taking a stance.

"I've been looking for a strong person to fight! Let me see if that one is you!"

Without another moment to waste, I felt her fist crash against mine.


	3. Chapter 2: Confrontation

Chapter 2: Confrontation

_She's strong. _

I could feel the warm rays of the setting sun already striking my body, filling it with comfortable waves of heat. The colors of the star were dyeing the whole battleground with shades of red, orange, and yellow. The once green grass now waved through the air soaked in the light of the sun.

The rest of the field was devastated.

Broken trees littered the perimeter of our arena, splintered and shattered in all manners and sizes. The earth was upturned and cracked, as if meteors and earthquakes has broken the ground.

Thankfully, I had taken hits without much consequence and dodged and blocked the vast majority.

In our battle, she had attempted to scorch me, zap me and punch me in numerous areas of my body. The wind, now much less fierce than it was before, blew in my face. But it was pleasant, not like the gale that forced me to shield my eyes and squint.

The girl was already panting hard, the glow around her fists weakening drastically in comparison the beginning of the fight. Her clothes were already torn in various places, revealing skin and wounds I had decided to add in when she was unprepared.

"You're...not...bad..." She managed to let that out before she sat down hard on her rear, a loud thud resonating through the area.

"So, give up?" I smiled, cracking my knuckles once again in anticipation.

"Yeah, I'm all tuckered out. I need a rest." She sighed, yawning loudly and scratching the back of her head.

I walked up to her, a grin on my face. The words that I said to the water god on the first day came back to me.

_A victor is not decided when someone is declared the winner..._

_A victor is decided when someone loses!_

"Hey, hey! You picked the fight! Finish it! Make this more interesting for me!" I felt a rush of adrenaline compelling my mouth to run off.

The look she had in her eyes, one of challenge and feral joy, had disappeared. Now, her face showed me submission, and defeat. There was no sadness mixed in, instead filled with a certain kind of happiness.

That face stayed my hand.

I felt all the fighting spirit begin to flow down from my head, to my feet, all the way to the ground. I could sense it diffuse and disappear.

What replaced it was curiosity.

"So...who are you exactly? Your introduction earlier was far too...uninformative."

She stood up straight, her hands on her sides. She straightened as if she were addressing a strict father or an army general.

"Sakura Hime! Combat mage, problem child and princess of the kingdom Elkia, at your service!" She shot out the words as if she were speaking to a drill sergeant.

"Elkia? Elaborate. I've never heard of your world." I replied, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"Elkia? It's the kingdom that I lived in and helped rule alongside my brother." In an instant, she returned to a casual standing position.

_Brother? Is he the other person who was falling out of the sky?_

I thought this, turning to face the direction opposite ours.

_Did Black Rabbit and the others end up fighting her brother? It'd definitely explain why they're not here yet. _

"Is your brother like you? In terms of violent tendencies and all." I asked her, stroking the cuffs of my wrists.

"No. He's more of the quiet and lonesome type who likes to keep his distance when he can." She responded flatly.

Before I could further comment, something in her words from earlier caught my attention. It bothered me for some unidentifiable reason, nagging at my mind. With the irritating feeling tugging at my mind, I felt that there was no choice but to ask her about it.

"...you called yourself a problem child?"

She just cocked her head like a chicken's, an unknowing expression on her face.

"Well, yeah. My teachers and seniors in the kingdom kept calling me that. Isn't it a good thing?"

"Depends on how you look at it." I couldn't really believe this girl who apparently didn't know that being a problem child was a term often given negatively.

_How interesting...she'll liven the game up for sure. _

"Okay...now, I need to ask you something real quick." I let the words out, my thoughts drifting to the memories I had of the Gift Games, the No-Names, the other communities and the Demon Lords.

"Oh? What?" She replied.

"Do you like to play games?"

* * *

I didn't expect it at all. A Gift's power to this degree.

As bolts of energy shot past my head, I felt the cold cutting air brush past my ears and my hair, throwing my long brown locks high into the air.

I felt my eye twitch in irritation as the next volley of projectiles flew my way, and I leaped to the right to dodge. I felt the heels of my ruby red shoes dig into the dirt, and I clenched my fist and let my eyes dart around.

The trees a ways off from me had holes punched in them as if a cannonball had passed. The gaps inside the bark were sizzling and steaming, and the embers glowed a foreboding orange.

I threw my gaze back to the caster.

A boy, no younger than the age of 13, clothed in a dark red cloak and a hood. He wore a sleeved tunic, from what I could see, and dark green leggings. His feet were adorned with brown leather boots.

He was holding a crimson wooden staff, which crackled and simmered with power. Around it, miniscule orbs of yellow light orbited the tip.

I couldn't see much of his expression from under his hood, but from what I could tell, he was dead serious.

_It's annoying how he started attacking us right after he had landed. _

"Asuka! What do we do now?" I heard Kasukabe's fatigued voice to my right, asking me a question that I felt like asking myself.

A question I also felt like directing at Black Rabbit.

I placed my eyes on her, who was fixing her own gaze on the hostile boy. She was hunched over slightly, clutching her staff in one hand. Her ears were perked upwards, but her hair was still blue. She was breathing heavily, as she was blocking and evading various magical attacks earlier.

_She hasn't considered attacking him full-on yet. _

"Black Rabbit?" I called out to her.

She looked back to me, an exhausted look on her face. I felt my eyes widen when I saw the bags under her eyes. I could see that her gaze was slightly unfocused, and slid over me slightly. Instead, it locked itself onto the air in front of me for a moment before refocusing on my own eyes.

She was exhausted. And not just because of the fight.

I called to mind the times when I woke up in the middle of the night and walked past Black Rabbit's room on the way to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I recall peering inside a crack when the door wasn't fully closed.

And I remember seeing Black Rabbit writing on piles and stacks of papers one after the other as if her life depended on it.

_She's been working all this time for the community. With no help from any of us, she shouldered the burden of that job all by herself. _

I felt a sigh escape my lungs, and I stood from my tensed stance.

"Black Rabbit, don't you think we've been fighting long enough?" I asked her, relaxing my muscles and letting my slightly raised arms fall to my sides. Ignoring the boy who raised his staff warningly, I strode over to Black Rabbit and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Asuka..." her tired eyes switched to me, and her voice finally began to let her fatigue show.

I felt a little self-loathing for not noticing it sooner, and I decided to act on it.

"Sorry, Black Rabbit. You've done enough, so leave this to us." I smiled and patted her shoulder softly. I could see her ears begin to lower, the look in her eyes softening gradually.

"But...I have to explain the rules of Litt-" She began, but I'd already made up my mind.

"**Sleep"**

The instant I let my Authority ring out, Black Rabbit's eyes widened for a moment. They were full of surprise, and wavered as they stared at me.

And then they shut.

With a soft thud, her form hit the grass and loosened up. I felt a little snort escape my mouth at how easy it was. The snort turned into subdued chuckles when my ears picked up on the soothing sound of a rabbit's snoring.

"Asuka?" Kasukabe's voice, full of questioning, was directed at me again. I felt myself flinch a little, but I smiled and stepped forward.

"I'll have to apologize later, so please remind me when we're done here."

With that, I swept my hair back with my hand and turned back to the boy. His staff was now at his side, planted into the ground firmly like the trees that surrounded us.

"Boy, I never asked you your name. What was it?"

The question seemed to have caught him off guard, as he had visibly reacted to it. His form relaxed for a crucial moment, then he tensed again.

"...when asking someone for their name...shouldn't you be introducing your own first?" A weak and shy voice emanated from the hooded figure, quivering with nervousness.

And yet he somehow managed to insert a portion of a challenging tone within it.

"Very well, I'll enlighten you. I am Asuka Kudou." I swept my hand out and brushed aside some of my bangs.

Beside me, I sensed Kasukabe stand firmly and gently.

"I'm Yō Kasukabe. You are?" She asked in a kind tone. As I thought, even this situation won't stop her from staying the kind person she is. Someone who'll reach out to anyone with a kind hand.

As long as that someone wasn't like that werewolf from Fores Galdo.

The boy, seemingly still wary of us, shuffled a bit closer. His right hand was still firmly gripping his wooden staff, ready to swing and cast at a moment's notice.

"...my name is Yuuji Hime. Combat mage and archer, problem child and prince of the Kingdom of Elkia."

_Problem child? In the introduction, even. _

"Well, I'm glad that's all well and settled. Although...do you know what a problem child even is?" I asked him, since I felt a little bothered by it.

"In Elkia, problem children are the most powerful soldiers in their kingdoms, but are often the most difficult to handle because of their unique personalities."

_Now I get it. _

I felt a big sigh escape my mouth as my hand massaged my temples.

"Well, regardless of wherever you came from, we need to give this to you straight. You're now in a different world, where your previous status and such will no longer matter."

He looked up at me, and I felt something in his eyes reach out to me.

Innocence. Fear.

The boy had no idea where he was, and was completely alone.

I felt myself beginning to give in to the young child's puppy-dog eyes, then I slapped my inner self and shook my head.

"Well, it looks like I need to start expl-"

Suddenly, I felt my body shift to the side as a powerful force threw me to the left. I threw my arms in front of me, bracing myself against the ground. I felt dirt, rising on the wind, smack against my cheek and bounce off. I could feel my skirt ruffle from the gusts, flapping noisily in the wind.

I felt an arm wrap around my waist and lift me up, and I felt the force of gravity act on my head as I watched the ground fall away from me. Looking to my left, I could see the boy also snatched up.

Looking behind me, I saw Yō carrying both us in her arms.

"What are you doing?" I heard myself exclaim, my arms gripping her own tightly. I tried to pry myself free, but her forearms wouldn't budge.

"He's here." Her quiet voice answered me calmly, her eyes looking at something in front of her.

I turned to where she was looking, and my mind slapped itself, smiled and felt irritated. All at the same time.

Not even waiting for the dust and the falling leaves to clear and fall, Izayoi walked through the fallen trees and upturned dirt mounds as if he were strolling through the streets of our community. His constant smirk of self-confidence and smugness still irritated me subconsciously, and I felt my fist clench without my consent.

It's been happening recently.

Whenever I've seen his face, I felt many things at once.

The closeness of a comrade.

The narcissism, smugness and self-confidence in his overly aggravating self.

His hidden side, where he actually cares for the rest of the No-Names.

His immense strength and intelligence, despite being labeled a problem child.

Seeing him right now, for some reason, I had to admit it to myself.

Despite all of our arguments and conflicts, we share a very powerful common interest.

We want to see interesting things happen. Interesting things that couldn't happen where we used to be. Things that could only happen in Little Garden.

And in that common interest, we had been brought together. And we've spent three months together.

Sometimes, he acts like a complete idiot in his perverted schemes that he'd even bring Shiroyasha into. And sometimes, he'd amaze even me in things where he's given surprising amounts of thought into, where he'd figure things out in an instant where even Black Rabbit would be stumped.

In the span of time that we've lived in Little Garden alongside one another...

_I hate to admit it...but perhaps I've been to see him more and more as a man._

Suddenly, a powerful feeling pierced my chest. Like a large icicle, cold and harsh, and it interfered with my breathing.

I felt an icy sensation ripple over my back, and wash over my rear. It...also felt a little familiar.

But when I turned, all I saw was Yō averting her gaze from me.

_...what? _

"Hey, hey! Don't leave me out of the fun, you three-ah, Black Rabbit's asleep?" Izayoi's voice, full of his laid-back personality, rang out louder than usual. As he stepped forward, I noticed something behind him.

A girl, clad in similar clothing to the boy, was cracking her knuckles and stretching her arms out. She yawned and twisted her right shoulder a bit, seemingly to loosen up.

_Her hair, her eyes...no doubt. He has to be related to her. _

"Hey, who are you?" I called out to the girl behind Izayoi, my hands finding their way to my hips.

She opened her lips to respond, but Izayoi interrupted her by clamping his hand over her mouth.

"She's Sakura Hime, the next member of the No-Names!" Izayoi said, wrapping his one arm around her shoulders and pulling him closer to his chest.

"Hey, get your hands off my sister!" As a voice cut through the conversation, a massive bullet of magical energy dashed past my line of sight. It whined as it flew, heading straight towards Izayoi.

Even with that level of power though, I didn't feel worried at all.

After all, Izayoi was strong.

Really strong.

I saw him chuckle once and thrust his hand out in front of him, striking the sphere of magic with his open palm. Light shone through his fingers as he took the attack full-on, increasing in brightness until I had no choice but to face another direction. I tried my best to squint, but I quickly found it unnecessary.

With his usual smirk on his face, he gripped the ball hard and smashed it to bits.

Seeing the shards of his offense flying into the air harmlessly, I couldn't blame the boy for having such an astonished look on his face.

"Now...let me explain the situation here to you." Izayoi's eyes glinted menacingly for a moment, and then his smirk grew.

Before he could continue, Yuuji leaped backwards and swung his staff. In the trail of the wooden stick, moderately-sized beams of energy formed and shot out towards Izayoi.

"There are a few rules when it comes to this world, Little Garden. Be sure to remember them all."

Suddenly, Izayoi vanished into thin air. The beams struck the location where he had just been standing, the magic imbued into them boring holes into the dirt.

"First: Everything in this world is earned through games. These games are all different, but can only take place once the parties involved bet something they think is worth the win."

_He's explaining the rules of Little Garden while fighting?!_

I noticed that Kasukabe's eyes were trained on the sky, or something above us. I followed her line of sight, only to see Izayoi calmly smiling in the air. His jump's momentum took him somersaulting over the boy and landing directly behind him.

"Second: Anything can be bet. Places, people, objects and whatever else that you think is worth betting."

I saw Yuuji turn around in surprise, then he took a few steps back while chanting something inaudible while also raising his staff above his head.

The sky darkened noticeably, and the clouds began to close in on our location at a disturbing speed. The wind around us began to become chillier, and the shadows of the trees lengthened.

With a yell, he brought down the staff and struck the ground. In instant response, a massive bolt of lightning descended and lit the whole scene. I felt the searing heat pierce my eyelids, even when I shut them and covered them with my hands.

"Izayoi!" My mouth screamed out his name, even though I didn't ask it to.

But just like how I would expect him to be, Izayoi was perfectly calm. Even while redirecting a lightning bolt with a single hand into the ground.

"Lastly: Without a community, you're not going to last."

With a sound that shook the world, Izayoi blew the crackling energy away. I felt my body leave the ground for a moment before I landed on my bum.

I heard a grunt of protest to my right as Yō followed suit.

"So...let's decide right here and now."

_I have a bad feeling about this. _

I opened my eyes and looked back at Izayoi. He had a feral grin on his face, and his fists were clenched and glowing with the residue of magic.

"Decide what?!" I heard the boy shout behind us, and the girl scream from behind Izayoi.

His smirk just rose even higher as his eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

"If you're ready to hang with the No-Names."


	4. Chapter 3: Preparation

Chapter 3: Preparation

It's already been a week since that event.

My mind flashed back to that time as I sipped the lukewarm tea that Leticia had made me upon request. Even now, she stood near the door, humbly..almost eagerly awaiting orders.

The two, of course, never really stood a chance.

Once Izayoi had begun his assault, there was no stopping him. Even Yō and I could not risk intervening, lest Izayoi create splash damage that would harm us as well as the newcomers. In the end, they had surrendered to him out of pure shock and fear.

Even now, they still hold him in a near-godly regard.

Afterward, we had taken them back to the community and schooled them much more politely on how Little Garden functioned. Izayoi had sat through the lecture, a bored look on his face. Once we had finished, he stood up and walked out waving his hand. Leaving for god knows where only brought more stress on us.

And then there was Black Rabbit.

Upon awakening, she had not been as furious as I had expected her to be. She was more grateful to me, somewhat, for noticing her exhaustion and taking on some of the load so that she could recover. If at least, for a small while.

Unfortunately, she was not that as forgiving once she learned exactly what Izayoi did.

_Honestly, it's such a hassle. To have to tolerate that unsightly delinquent...there are better ways to waste one's time. _

This thought ran through my mind as I put the cup down and began sifting through more paperwork. The sound of the pen on the paper began to resound through my mind and my ears as one of the only sounds in the whole room.

I had volunteered to help Black Rabbit with her workload in the stead of her nonexistent assistants, which she was glad for. With some coaxing, I had managed to get Yō to help out as well.

I could also hear the shuffling and rustling of papers a ways off to my right, and I could spy Yō looking over other ridiculous amounts of paperwork. On my lap, I suddenly felt an abrupt weight make itself pronounced. I looked down, only to see Kasukabe's pet curl up onto my lap and purr.

I couldn't stop a smile from making it's way to my face, despite the imposing amount of work in front of me, and I removed my hand from the pen and stroked the feline's smooth and soft fur. It sent waves of relaxation through my body, and I sighed unconsciously.

One of the papers in the massive pile caught my eye as I ran my gaze over the whole lot, and I pulled it out and examined it closely.

I felt my spirit suddenly rise in my body as I read the content, and I smiled to myself. I read the content over and over again before I made certain to myself. I didn't even question why a Geass Roll was stored in a massive amount of paperwork meant for Black Rabbit to look over and take charge of.

A Gift Game.

Our first real Gift Game in months.

My legs stood me up in an instant, and I walked to the door. Throwing the wooden door open, I clenched the Geass Roll in my hand and headed straight for **his **room.

Before I knocked on the door, I suddenly felt my arm retract instinctively.

I felt an immense sensation in my body, pounding away as if I was being repeatedly struck with a powerful blow. It unsettled me, yet I knew it was not a hostile feeling.

I raised my hand again, now quivering in nervousness, and knocked lightly on the door. I felt the powerful knocking in my chest again, and I placed a hand on it. As if that could steady a heartbeat.

"Come in." A muffled voice, clearly Izayoi's, emanated through the door. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment before reaching for the door's handle.

I had expected to see Izayoi standing in the room somewhere with his hands in his pockets, or to see him sitting down in a chair and relaxing.

Even to see him lying down on his bed trying to take a nap.

What I didn't expect to see was what I did.

"Wh-what are you doing?" For the first time in a while, I felt my head lose it's composure. I turned around quickly and gazed at the carpeting as if it were more interesting than the boy behind me.

"Well, I just finished taking a bath." His voice was full of complete unawareness and innocence, as if he really didn't understand our current situation.

As if that kind of tone would not change the fact that he was wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.

"W-well, hurry up and change!" I yelled at him, clenching my fists in frustration.

I felt like striking my face more and more as I kept drifting back to my mental image of him.

It only increased when I accidentally said to myself that I didn't dislike it.

Left with no other choice, I bore the brunt of a stinging slap courtesy of my own hand. The burning smear on my cheek brought me back to reality a little more, allowing my mind to calm down.

If only a bit.

"In any case..." My own voice sounded like it was still shaky. "Would you please hurry and put some clothes on? It is hardly proper to address me while in that unsightly getup."

"Got it." He responded flatly. I could hear him walk across the room lightly, as he was not wearing anything on his feet. The sound of his bare feet alighting on the carpet was unique, like the sound of a bird's flapping.

I stood there for a moment before I began to hear the sound of cloth meeting skin and zipping of zippers.

_Wait..._

_He's changing while I'm still in the room?!  
_

"Done." Before I could even attempt to comment on that tiny tidbit of information I would consider extremely important, he had finished.

I turned back around, and I saw him wearing his usual outfit. His cobalt leather coat grazed the ground smoothly, and his boots made loud noises that clunked noisily on the wood. His hands that were augmented by those fingerless gloves of his, and his blue pants.

"...Izayoi, why did you change with me in the room?" I asked him, a tiny bit of frustration dyeing my tone with a dash of sinister intention.

"Eh? It's alright, isn't it? You weren't looking." He responded, and I felt like striking his head for his blunt denseness.

"So, what did you want to talk about, Asuka Kudou?"

I said nothing, but I held up the Geass Roll for him to see easily. His eyes narrowed and his mouth curled into a smile. He walked over to me and calmly snatched the contract out of my hand. He took a quick glance at the roll and tossed it back to me. Somehow, it rode the wind perfectly and landed in my hand once again.

"...looks like fun.

* * *

The sunlight is warm here, but not the kind that makes you sweat unnecessarily. The wind is cool, and not too strong. The air is clean, and not populated with the stench of blood and war.

It was so much better than Elkia.

And the people are all so unique.

As my brother and I were eating breakfast this morning, a vampire lord and a demon lord were the ones to give us our breakfast with smiles on their faces. As we ate our surprisingly delicious breakfast, I witnessed the closeness of everyone in that mansion.

Asuka, who came in and began doting and admiring the blonde maid. Despite her serious nature, she was cuddling the vampire like nothing was wrong.

Yō, who was silently enjoying the food and laughing along with the flow.

Izayoi, who was eating his food with his feet on the table and completely ignoring Asuka's complaints.

Black Rabbit, who was yapping and nagging Izayoi to remove his feet from the table unsuccessfully.

And Jin, who was just smiling while watching all of us.

As my brother and I grinned like fools and bit deeper into our breakfast, I couldn't help but think...

_Little Garden is a nice place. _

Which is why I didn't understand what we were doing now, underground and watching a battle unfold before us.

As we watched, Asuka snapped her fingers. Immediately, the whole group of men around her went insane and began fighting each other. Within seconds, she was the only one left standing in the group.

"That's incredible!" I could hear my brother enthusiastically cheering and freaking out over Asuka's powers. In all respect, her Gift is very powerful and useful.

But I was watching the other two.

Yō looked lithe and agile as she evaded attack after attack, ducking and leaping over and under blows. As a powerful and large man yelled and charged her, she easily ducked under his clothesline blow. She rose and grabbed his arm and, with a surprising amount of physical strength, flipped him over and knocked him out. Behind her, a pale man with red eyes attempted to grab her by the shoulders. She sensed him, and stepped forward casually to dodge his grab. As he stumbled forward, she smiled and delivered a powerful heel kick to the side of his face that sent him flying into another man. They sprawled over the floor, unconscious.

_Impressive. _

But to me, she couldn't beat that man.

My thoughts and eyes turned to the strongest, in my opinion, of the three.

A cocky smile plastered onto his face the whole time, Izayoi smashed three beasts down with a single kick. As they sailed through the air and smashed against the wall, I felt the shockwave pass through the air as if it were an invisible hand pushing me back. The beast-men glared at him once, then fell down.

Out cold.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I saw him catch another one's fist as if it were a light game of catch-ball. The next thing I knew, he had thrown the enemy far behind him. And yet another one hit the concrete wall.

I remembered our fight a week ago when we had first come here. And I remembered just how easily he had defeated us.

In an awe-inspiring display of pure strength, he had shouldered and brushed off everything we could throw at him with little to no effect whatsoever. Even when my brother began casting dangerous spells one after the other, all he did was take it to the face and smile as if it were a light and pleasant breeze.

And then he had forced us to our knees.

_That was our defeat. _

I sighed as he eliminated the last opponent on his side of the field, watching the poor sap sail through the air before hitting the leg of the bench we sat on. The look on his face showed not only was he beaten, he also was completely and utterly stupefied. A look of _"what the hell just happened?" _was etched in his eyes and his expression on his unconscious face.

I couldn't really imagine how strong you'd have to be to get someone to have that kind of face while they were passed out.

As I kept my eye on Izayoi, I felt a warm hand gently grasp my shoulder. I turned back, and I felt my gaze cross and meet Kasukabe's.

"Let me take you to town, and I'll introduce you to the places and the people. You've been in the mansion this whole time, so you must be curious. Right?" She asked me warmly, a friendly smile on her face. She offered a hand to me, and I took it and stood up.

I had to admit, she was right.

I've been wanting to go into town and enjoy myself, but I've been confined here. And I haven't even been able to practice for real, so I've been stuck in the basement just watching the main three fighters of the No-Names duke it out with opponents that couldn't even try to match their level.

"Alright."

As I sighed and checked my gloves to see if they had been damaged, I caught Kasukabe and Sakura in the corner of my eye get up and walk out of the door. I felt my eyebrows narrow on their own, then I shrugged and decided to pay them no heed.

They were probably headed out to town anyway.

_Besides, I'm more interested in this Geass Roll that Black Rabbit had on her. _

My thoughts drifted back to the contract in my pocket, where I'd been keeping it. Asuka and I had intended on confronting her about it sooner or later, but I'd rather that she weren't there with me.

After all, the details and requisites were also interesting in their own right.

Making sure that Asuka was not looking, I crept past her and made my way to the door stealthily. Opening it without a sound, I closed it behind me and began sprinting quietly down the hall.

Within seconds, I stopped in front of the door that was the entrance to Black Rabbit's room. Raising my hand, I knocked lightly.

"Coming!" I heard her voice from far inside the room, behind the door. Before long, I could hear footsteps that sounded as if they were padded.

The doorknob turned quickly, and the door swept open swiftly. In the entrance-way-

-Black Rabbit was wearing nothing but a towel.

Her blue hair and ears were moist, still dripping slightly with bathwater. Her skin, usually stunning and sleek, now shown and glistened marvelously in the light of the hallway as if morning dew had coated them. Her arms, smooth and lean, looked damp and wet. The bath towel, also still moistened and dampened, wrapped around her torso clung to her figure, outlining her feminine curves for the world to see. A healthy pink blush was present on all parts of her body, just managing to throw out the more erotic elements of being garbed in a towel.

My eyes met hers. And we stared at each other for what seemed like seconds conforming into millennia. Her face, showing how much she was trying to process the situation, was frozen.

And it took a while before I decided to just break the silence.

"Thanks for the view."

Instantly snapping out of her daze, her face immediately reddened. Her hair and ears suddenly morphed, turning pink. Suddenly, a heat wave burst and washed over me, originating from Black Rabbit.

The next shockwave was created from the pure force of an embarrassed bunny girl slamming door hard enough to crack the walls around it. I felt my body get pushed back a few inches from the sheer force of the motion.

"Um...if you can hurry it up." I called to her from the other side of the door. "I have to chat with you for a bit."

"LEARN SOME TACT FIRST, YOU PERVERTED PROBLEM CHILD!"

* * *

_**Geass Roll**_

_**Senders: Thousand Eyes**_

_**Objective: To win against the foes pitted one on one in a tournament-style face-off against chosen fighters of Thousand Eyes**_

_**Prerequisites: To have a total of five or more participants, with or without Gifts. **_

_**The participants can hail from any race, ranging from human to gods and demons. **_

_**Even the Judge Masters can participate. **_

_**Condition/s: **_

_**The fighters are not allowed to move outside of the arena chosen for them. **_

_**Prize/s: **_

_**The loser's community will be absorbed into the winner's community**_

_**The winning community's heroes have the right to challenge a Demon Lord to a Gift Game, and the Demon Lord cannot refuse. **_

_**The winning heroes will gain the opportunity to become stronger.**_

"And so? What's the meaning of hiding this from us?" The Geass roll was slammed down violently on the wooden table, without a worry about tearing or damaging the paper at all.

It **is **a Geass Roll, though. No concern is required at all for its preservation. The papers themselves were near indestructible.

That wasn't the main concern though.

I let my head sag and hit the tabletop, a paltry amount of pain in comparison to the unceasing whirlwind in my mind.

First, I felt like striking myself repeatedly on the head for allowing Asuka and Izayoi to see the contract.

It was proof of my foolishness.

I had accidentally struck up the agreement with Shiroyasha after I had visited Thousand Eyes on an off-day, when we had been talking and drinking. It had been a few weeks since the incident, where I had let her get to my head after she had jokingly insulted the No-Names lack of strength and potential as a strong community with _sake _on the brain.

At the time, the blood had just flowed to my head as well. Before I knew it, we'd agreed to the Game.

However, after coming to her senses, Shiroyasha had claimed that it was perfectly alright to postpone it for the time being. After all, it was a Gift Game with drastic consequences for either side.

But the contract had been made, and the match would still have to be held.

And so...we come to the present day.

"I would have loved to teach her a thing or two myself, Black Rabbit. Surely you don't think that you could have gotten away lightly with hiding this kind of thing from us...do you?" Izayoi's voice had grown menacing. And I felt the fear shimmy up my spine, for I knew what he was capable of.

Izayoi is cunning. Ruthless, antagonistic and downright rude.

And suddenly, I felt a strong tug on the top of my head. Before I knew it, everyone had begun standing diagonally in my field of vision.

That, or my head was being pulled by the ears.

Being very sensitive, the sensation was not pleasant at all. The strain began to feel as if the top of my head was going to be separated from the rest of my body.

"Izayoi! What do you think you're doing to my lovely ears?!" I begged him, and I grabbed his forearms in a futile attempt to wrest his grip away from my sensitive rabbit ears.

He wouldn't have any of it. He only pulled harder. And I regretted it even more. I could hear my pained squeals leaking out of my throat like a banshee's screams, except more contained.

"We could have taken on the Gift Game, you know. Pest, Leticia and even you are possible players for this." Asuka commented, her eyes trained on me mercilessly.

It seems like no one here is going to let this slide so easily.

"I was worried, though! This Geass Roll is the result of me losing my head! What if...what if...we lost...and the No-Names were forced to dissolve!?" My worries, having built up for weeks and weeks of work, decided to spill out like a glass of water. I could hear my own voice.

It was weak. Cracking.

_Shameful. This is not how a Judge Master should be. _

Before I could attempt to slap myself, I felt a strong hand grip my own. I turned to the owner. Izayoi smiled at me, and then tugged my right bunny ear once.

"Are you seriously worrying about stuff like that? We aren't going to lose, even to Shiroyasha. Just you wait, I'll pound her face in and make her take back all of the things she said about the No-Names. It'll make for an interesting game, after all."

"Izayoi..." An overwhelming and indescribable feeling suddenly blossomed in my chest. Within it, I felt my gratitude to him. My love for the No-Names, and my friendship with everyone present here.

Kasukabe Yō.

Asuka Kudou.

And Izayoi Sakamaki.

But when I brought my focus to my hand being clasped by his, I began to feel a different feeling beginning to bloom within as well. In a moment, I felt my own face begin to grow hot and my heart begin to drum away in my chest.

Before anything else, I snatched my hand away from him.

"Anyway..." Changing the topic in order to desperately recover from that situation, I addressed the issue. "What do we do now? We can notify Shiroyasha at any time about when we're ready."

"Isn't it obvious, Black Rabbit?" Asuka shot back, standing up from her chair.

"Mm. It is." Kasukabe added, smiling warmly and joining Asuka.

I had no idea what they were talking about, and I pitched my bewildered look at Izayoi. He just smiled and replied.

"We have five heroes now. Time for the prince and princess to get to work."


	5. Chapter 4: Preservation

Chapter 4: Preservation

_Losing is not an option. _

This thought spurred me on as I bent backwards, my back arching over. As my hands braced my frame against the ground, I felt the rapier nick the tip of my nose as it passed over my face. The scratch was small, and began to leak small amounts of blood out over my nose and travel slowly down my cheeks and my lips.

I threw my body upwards, using the momentum to perform a backflip. I felt my legs hang in the air in the moment before I thrust them forward again, separating me from my opponent's blade.

The owner of that rapier just smiled at me and twirled it once.

"Not bad at your close combat skills, are you?" she complimented me, sarcasm evident in her somewhat scorning tone.

Asuka Kudou.

As far as I could tell, she was a girl with a background that screamed "rich girl". Whenever I asked her about her background, she went on about various things that I couldn't understand. Even with my background as a princess, my experience with lavish riches was scarce. After all, being the princess in Elkia meant nothing if you couldn't fight and protect your kingdom yourself with your own hands.

But Asuka...was a different type of lady.

The way she talked, the way she walked. Her demeanor was refined, despite her personality.

Since, even with her upbringing, she tried her best to act like a normal person.

My daze was shattered by the sight of her gracefully dashing towards me, zigzagging smoothly across the floor. As she closed in, she performed a series of feints before lunging towards my left leg.

By reflex, I thrust out my left arm and wrapped my fingers around the blade. Even though I felt it cut into my hand, blood spilling and all, I managed to halt the blade's advance.

Asuka's surprised face was one I didn't mind seeing. It was the face of a girl who was startled to see something she hadn't expected, with raised eyebrows and widened eyes.

"I hope you know how to take a hit, 'Lady' Asuka!" I let the remark hanging in the air out of spite for a second, then I made my move. Stepping forward hard, I felt the sensation of her soft body meet my fist. My hand striking her torso, I sent her flying easily as if she were a human-sized rag-doll. She flew through the air and skidded across the floor as if she were unconscious.

_We can't afford to lose. _

That thought came to me as I frowned at her unmoving frame, and I couldn't help but feel disappointed as the fight was brought to a completely abrupt and unexpected halt.

_Is this the limit of Asuka Kudou, one of the three strongest and main fighters of the No-Names? She's only taken one hit, but..._

I turned around and decided to check my brother, who was watching on the side. I waved to him enthusiastically, and he waved back with a smile on his face. I began to walk towards him when I noticed his eyes. They were staring past me, wide with surprise.

I spun on my heel to face my opponent again, only to be startled. She was standing again, surely. Moreover, her expression showed absolutely no pain in her movements and her gait whatsoever. It was as if my attack had actually not damaged her at all.

I couldn't believe it at all, personally. My attack has felled fully grown trees and animals larger than myself in times past, in my old world. For it not to hurt a girl my own age, and with a weaker frame as well, is unthinkable.

She just smiled when she saw my face and threw her gaze to my feet.

"**Earth: Stop her limbs from moving about for me." **Her voice rang with unusual intensity, and I felt the world shift around my for the quarter of a second.

Immediately, rock rose from the floor and clamped around my hands and feet firmly. I felt the pressure begin to send waves of pain through my system while still paralyzing my movement completely.

"Wh-" I felt my own lips convey the confusion in my mind, which was still focusing on the disbelief obtained from seeing Asuka completely unharmed.

"You look like you can't comprehend what's happening in front of you." She remarked to me, redrawing her rapier and pointing it at me. I felt sweat run down the side of my face as the tip of the blade once again found its way to the front of my face. It drew closer, 'til it hovering directly above the bridge of my nose and in between my eyes.

"I don't understand! I hit you perfectly, and square on your chest! If not dead, then you should be on the floor and coughing up blood!" I yelled, still unable to fathom how she took that attack head-on.

"Simple." She said, as she withdrew her rapier and began walking around me. She stepped to my right, and I did my best to follow her with my eyes.

"Not simple! That's not simple at all! I h-"

"This dress is near-impervious to normal physical attacks. You can hit me, as hard as you want, too. But it won't inflict pain at all. It takes the energy built in my body that is received from your blow and disperses it through the rest of the cloth. When taking larger amounts of damage, it will send it into the air. It can also convert that damage into energy within the clothing that can be used to heal myself and restore my energy. At most, you can inflict miniscule amounts of damage that it will instantly heal as long as you don't use magic or something else."

The declaration left me at a loss for words. It was purely unfair, seeing as people with pure physical strength alone wouldn't be able to hurt her without either removing the dress or using magic on her.

_Then..._

I began concentrating, calling back the memories of when I used magic. Like in the fight when I had first met Izayoi after crashing into Little Garden. But to be honest, it was all combat enhancing magic. Spells to enchant my fists with elements and energy, or spells that enhanced attributes like strength and speed. I actually knew very little of the arcane arts that focused on pure magical destruction. That side of the battle was my little brother's strength, and not mine.

Even when I had forced Izayoi back with gusts of wind in our initial fight, what I did in that fight had not been proper wind magic. That had just been me manipulating the air around my fist, along with me making my fist travel faster, to send bullets of compressed wind at him.

But I knew enough.

Focusing around my fists, I began to send energy into the small spaces around my fingers. Slowly, they began to drift outward and eat away at the rock encasing my fists.

_This isn't nearly as intuitive and strong as my brother's magic, but it'll do. _

"So? I'm waiting for your next move." Asuka replied. Her words stopped me cold, even though the magic continued to work at eroding the stone.

_What...wait, can she see-_

"I'm not a mind reader or someone who can detect magic. My powers don't extend to anything beyond commanding things and people to do what I want them to do. Nothing else. But..."

_But...?_

She smiled and pointed her rapier at me one more time.

"I know you've got something up your sleeve. You're part of the No-Names now, so make this interesting!" She said, a joyful kind of ferocity in her tone. Her voice and her words filled me with this strange feeling.

A feeling where I wanted to punch her, but didn't mean anything bad by it.

I wanted to fight her and have fun doing it. I could hear my thoughts and my subconscious self screaming at me that it was not possible. After all, Elkia had raised me to know that conflict and war always involved a kind of negative emotion.

But now...I felt nothing of that.

Before I realized it, the rock around my hands crumbled away and fell to the floor. Around my own two hands, blue energy was pouring and steaming off my skin. It looked like cobalt flame surrounding my hands, which seemed...pretty damn cool.

I smiled and smashed the stone bonds around my own feet, which gave easily under my magical fist duo. I took a stance and taunted Asuka. Something she wouldn't fall for, but would still piss her off a bit.

Her eyebrow twitched a bit, then she began sprinting at me.

It still mystifies me, how she does that in heels.

We began a graceful and deadly dance, her blade pitted against my fists. I smashed my right hand into her thigh, which she countered with a light stab to my ankle. The blow landed, and I could feel the blood exit the wound. Irritated, I threw my body to the left and attempted a kick at her head. She ducked under it, almost casually, and stood back up. Simultaneously, she swung her sword at the back of my lower leg. I felt the pain travel up my whole leg and into my brain as the sword made a deeper cut than her earlier attacks. Using the momentum from the kick, I performed a flip and landed back on my own two feet again. I dashed forward, evading a series of slashes and stabbing motions, and delivered a few strikes to her shoulder.

_If I can't hurt her, then I'll disarm her!_

I saw her frown as her hand loosened, and her sword clattered to the floor. Now, she was weaponless.

And vulnerable.

"You're mine!" I let that scream ring with the tone of triumph, and I let my fist fly at her face.

Suddenly, she vanished from my point of view. I only saw a lock of brown hair in my eyes for a moment. Then, the feeling of my arm being grabbed and twisted behind my back sent searing pain into my body. I felt my wrist and fist being kneaded into my back, and the presence of magic only made it more painful.

I heard the sound of metal being dragged across the floor.

"If this were a real fight, you'd be dead." Her voice was but a whisper in my ear, one that sent a shiver down my spine.

"**The fight is won. Kneel." **Once again, her voice echoed and resonated through the air like a gong. I felt the strength in my already injured legs disappear, and I fell to my knees in defeat and weakness.

"Let this be a lesson taught to you the hard way, Sakura. Don't underestimate an enemy. Even the weak can defeat you if you're careless, princess of Elkia."

With that, she sheathed her blade and pulled me to my feet with surprising strength. After dusting me off, she looked me up and nodded.

"Just go to Kasukabe for the healing and the first-aid, since she's good at that. If you or your brother can heal with magic, then that's fine too. Just don't go overboard or cause an accident."

With that statement under her belt, she huffed and walked towards the door as if a bloody and serious duel had not just taken place. Watching her go as I heard my brother rush to my side from behind, I reconfirmed it.

Sometimes, I just can't understand these people.

I couldn't believe it.

There were people who were capable of besting my sister in close combat within this world called Little Garden. I held mixed feelings about that as I rushed to my sister's aid. As she turned to me with a defeated smile on her face, I felt my heart constrict a bit.

I wasn't used to seeing my sister having that look on her face. She was one of the strongest figures in my heart, ever since my childhood. And to suddenly come here and see her defeated so casually is...not very entertaining.

I crouched and took a closer look at my older sister's wounds, despite her complaints and insistence that she was completely fine. I felt a crawl on my skin as I took note of the rips and gaps in her flesh.

That rapier of Asuka's had easily torn through armored fabric that I had enchanted to protect against injury. For her to cut through the leggings so easily meant something:

Asuka, whether or not she was versed in the art of the magics, was a strong opponent even against people who wielded the arcane arts.

_If ever I fight her, I'm not sure that my spells could break through that protective dress of hers. _

"Hey, Yuuji! I said I'm fine, so stop looking at my leg! It's making me feel really weird!" As my head returned to reality, my ears picked up on the sound of my sister's anxious voice. I listened to her, and I stood up and placed my hand firmly on her shoulder.

"Hey, big sis..." I started, and my eyes traveled to the back of the girl beside me.

"Yeah, little bro?"

"Could you return my bow and arrow quiver back to me, please? They do belong to me, after all. I'm afraid that it'll break to bits while it's tied to you." I honestly felt afraid for the weapon, which was simply made of hardened and refined wood while my sister was fighting people whose level of power was capable of smashing metal without a second thought.

"Oh, my bad. Here." My sister apologized with a ditzy smile on her face as she removed the quiver strap from her torso and handed it back to me. I took it from her outstretched hand and readjusted it before strapping it back to myself.

I felt complete now. Fighting without this still felt like I was missing a single part of myself, like I was battling enemies without my arm or my ribs. I was just used to it taking up space on my back, and it had bothered me since my arrival.

But now that I had it back, I felt much better.

"...still feel uncomfortable without it, right?" I heard my sister's knowing voice wash over my ears. The only one who understood why I loved the bow, my sister stroked my hair.

It was not only one of the only keepsakes left of our old world, but it was also the only remnant left of the one who taught me how to hunt and survive with it. The only relic of the one man who enjoyed life with us when Elkia was not a war-filled place that reeked of death and conflict.

Our father.

"So...now what?" I couldn't help but wonder. The whole room was empty, with no people there except for us. The ground was slowly repairing itself, covering the holes made from Asuka's Authority, so it didn't seem like we had to worry about that.

But now, I had no idea what we were supposed to be doing.

Suddenly, I heard the door on the far end of the room open up. As I turned to face the figure, I found myself meeting eyes with Yō. She just gave me a warm smile before walking over to my sister. Despite my sister's complaints and protests, Kasukabe crouched down and began dressing her wounds.

"Hey, I said that you don't have to-" She continued to struggle, but she couldn't seem to wriggle free of Kasukabe's grip. That surprised me, considering how strong my sister was.

It only reminded me how narrow-minded I was being.

I sat back down on the bench as I witnessed and bore the embarrassment of watching my sister's wounds getting bandaged as she whimpered in pain. It served to remind me that she puts up a tough front when it comes to the physical pain her body goes through. She could go through serious trauma or injury if we leave her be.

And it became silent, save for the sound of my sister groaning in pain and the faint sound of gauze bandages rubbing against skin. No one said a word, just letting Kasukabe go about her work.

"Say..." I began speaking without meaning to, and Kasukabe turned to face me. Amazingly, she was still dressing another wound while paying attention to me. Although she didn't speak, she cocked her head in a questioning manner. I decided not to pay too much heed to the amazing feat she was accomplishing as I spoke.

"What...are we supposed to be doing?" I felt like if it were Kasukabe, it was safest to speak with her.

At least, she seemed the least likely to do something dangerous on a whim.

"Well...we have a big Gift Game coming up soon. While the rest of us should be fine, our biggest concerns are you guys."

_Biggest concern? _

"Why?" I felt outraged, and I stood up. It frustrated me to think that they thought of us as weak. Even if we were weaker than them, and not on their level, the idea of them looking down on us didn't sit right with me.

Yō just stared back calmly, still aiding my injured sibling.

"We know you have strength, and we know that you also aren't too adept at using it yet. Both of you are still not as strong as we'd prefer you to be, and we want to have comrades that we can leave our backs to. We want to be comrades that you can leave your backs to as well, so you need to be strong to hold your front. But you guys haven't been here for long, and haven't participated in a single Gift Game yet. What's more is that your first Gift Game just so happened to be a major one. So...we have to keep you in your top game. Even if that means you won't come to like us all that much. That's what it means to work for a community, Yuuji. We have to trust each other and protect each other."

Her words, spoken so matter-of-factly and calmly, made me feel a little more at ease. I couldn't shake off the frustration created by the fact that I felt like we were being looked down on, but I felt less hostile towards the group now.

"Okay, fine. So...what happens now?" I responded, sighing deeply and watching the last of Sakura's bandages get secured.

Yō stood back up and pointed towards the ceiling of the room, presumably referring to the surface.

"We have some more training upstairs. This time, it's the two of you against a single enemy. Let's go."

It was an overwhelming loss.

This ran through my mind as I clawed the ground, trying to stay conscious and stand up again. Shocks and waves of pure agony were traveling through my muscles, shoving spikes of pain into every nook and cranny of me being.

He was just too strong.

I lifted my head, wincing at the unbearable sensation it shot down my neck, and threw my gaze at him.

Izayoi Sakamaki.

Every time, I tried to strike his face or his body with my frontal assaults, he would just evade it as if I were a snail trying to race a mouse. And when he got bored of that, he caught my fists and legs casually with a level of strength I shivered to think about.

When he got bored of doing that as well, he began intentionally allowing me to strike him. But whenever my knuckles would crash into his chest, or my shin would strike his temple, he would just shrug and dust himself off.

We were at a complete disadvantage.

To make matters worse, magic was not doing us much good. I daresay that it did us absolutely no good at all.

As my little brother began weaving spells left and right in an attempt to attack him directly, Izayoi either sent the lightning away or took it full on. When the earth rose to bury him, he would just jump heights that emulated the flight of birds. When fire threatened to burn him and the surrounding forest, he clapped his hands and blew it out faster than water would extinguish it.

My brother had also tried something a tad more ingenious: when I was distracting Izayoi, Yuuji began creating a vacuum that would remove the oxygen surrounding Izayoi himself. We had plotted to vacate his lungs of the air needed to function, and hopefully force him to forfeit.

What he did in response was too hope-crushing for words.

When he realized what the plan was, which had only been begun a paltry ten seconds before, he had given me a smile.

A smile that pretty much said: _I'm proud of you._

He rushed me, delivered two strikes to my gut and kicked my left side. I felt the pain resonate through my whole body, and I could hear the cracks of my bones as I smashed through the tree on the right.

I couldn't really see well after that, but he had directly attacked Yuuji as well. Left with no other choice, Yuuji was forced to remove the vacuum around Izayoi's body.

I could tell it was over, now that I couldn't hear any more movement. I felt a firm hand grip my own, clutching it tightly. Without a second thought or word to give, I felt my arm strain as my entire body was pulled to a standing position.

I found that the arm belonged to Izayoi.

"What are you lying down and taking a nap for? You done already?" He asked me, his eyes narrowed. I felt as if those eyes were accusing towards me. I couldn't understand why he could think that we could be of use to him or anyone in this community at all.

From what I've seen and experienced, Izayoi alone was strong enough to best gods. And from what I've heard, he actually has done things of the sort.

"Well...it won't really matter if we can't help you, right? After all, we're pretty much dead weight." My mistake was made because I was not paying attention to what I was actually saying, instead focusing on what I was thinking. Before I could stop myself, I heard my own voice leak my immensely negative thoughts and feelings.

_Well...not like telling him will change anything at all. _

As I stared past Izayoi and let my gaze graze the ground, I felt pathetic and weak. I felt like a miniscule ant being held in the palm of a titanic giant. It was...a very horrible feeling. Like I could do nothing, and the person in front of me was capable of doing anything and everything he wanted. Which...was true.

It took me a moment to realize that Izayoi was still staring at me with the same face for seconds onto minutes. His deep purple eyes, that felt like they were piercing and staring into my own being, was beginning to scare me. I took a step back, only to realize that I couldn't run.

After all, he was holding on to my hand.

I felt like the prey I've been hunting ever since I was a child. Or at least, what I think what they'd feel like. Cornered, trapped, unable to flee from something that could toy with their lives on a whim. I closed my eyes, waiting for something I wasn't even sure of.

It took me this long to realize it.

Izayoi has scarred his way into my heart. His strength has become my trauma. I couldn't even think of him anymore without feeling completely powerless to resist anything he could possibly think of doing.

I felt the strength in my limbs begin to filter out and pour into the ground, leaving me a husk of my former self.

But he did nothing. And for moments that passed like hours, he just stared at me with the same piercing gaze.

Moments passed, and I felt surprised when I saw his gaze soften. His eyes, looking at me with some indescribable emotion a few seconds ago, were now looking at me differently.

"Let me ask you something. Why do you think we need you to train?"

The question seemed like a pretty good one to me. I was unable to fight on par with this man at all, which made me feel worthless. If it was him, then he could smash through every enemy he wished to defeat with that cocky grin remaining glued to his face.

"But you don't even need me to-" I started to tell him that, but he shot me a bullet-like look that froze my mouth mid-sentence. My lips faltered, not allowing myself to form the words I wanted anymore.

"Let me show you something." Pulling me along with his usual monstrous strength, I suddenly became the candidate for being dragged along.

"Hey! Where are you taking me?!" I began to protest and struggle, futile as it was. Prying my hand from his served to be impossible, and I decided to just give up and begin walking behind him.

Before long, we were no longer in the greenery around the No-Names community, instead walking up a mountain path. The cliffsides around us were jagged, and pointed outwards at us. The trees, growing far to the sides of the path, were browner and deader than the forest.

Finally, we reached a dead end. The cliff, far more jagged than everything we've passed, loomed ominously. It's shadows stretched across the rock floor I stood on, as if it were veering towards me. 

Suddenly, I felt a strong object hoist me up from under my legs. Another lean object carried my torso.

It took a moment to process.

_Izayoi is..._

_C-_

_C- _

_Carrying me?!_

And truth be told, Izayoi was not breaking a sweat as he lifted me princess-style in his sturdy arms. For some reason, the innate fear I thought that was directed at him was not forcing me to strike his face, as close as it was to mine as it was.

Instead, my arms were finding themselves locking hands around his neck.

_What the hell am I doing?!_

I felt the blood rush to my head as I began screaming internally. But as much as I commanded my body to release itself from hugging Izayoi's neck, it refused to. As if it had a mind of it's own, it began bringing my face closer to his body.

The feeling of being carried like a princess...was not so bad.

_No, no, no! Wait a second, Sakura Hime! What kind of situation have you gotten yourself into?! Stop thinking strange things!_

But...

As much as I tried to deny it, I could still feel Izayoi's body against mine. And the sense of closeness...one of being this close to a teenage boy...and the warmth that our bodies were sharing...it was comforting. A feeling that I have had yet to experience, one of closeness with a man.

It...was something that I enjoyed.

_Hang on a second, me! I'm being carried by the one man who is capable of just crushing me in his grip right here and now! _

I felt gravity push me down as Izayoi huffed and performed an inhumanly high leap, jumping over the cliff in front of us. As the wind rushed over my face and through my hair, I felt my heart stop for a beat when I saw the rock begin rushing to greet us.

I didn't want to see rock smash into my face, even upon pain of death, so I closed my eyes and waited for a horrid and powerful jarring sensation to rock my frame and throw me into the oblivion.

All I did feel, however, was a soft and weak thud.

_What...happened?_

I slowly let my eyes open, wondering what kind of world I would be looking at. I found myself hanging suspended over the ground, my face pointed towards the ground. The brown and earthy cliff rock face loomed right in front of my face.

"Kya!" A high pitched scream cut through the atmosphere, and I wondered for a moment whose voice it was. It took a moment for me to realize that the voice was actually mine.

I felt the blood rise to my face, and I brought my hands to my face. I didn't like it when my feminine characteristics come to the surface, far from where I chose to bury them.

I didn't like it when I made that kind of sound, because it reminded me that I was a girl.

Because in Elkia, women were looked down on and scorned as the weak.

_I have to be strong! _

Suddenly, I felt the earth suddenly exist beneath my feet, and I realized that I was standing up once again. Stumbling, I struggled to right my balance and flailed my arms to attempt to find my equilibrium.

It was the next moment that Izayoi caught my hand and pulled me back up.

"Hey, don't keep falling over. Are you really that clumsy?" He asked me, a wry smile on his face and a raised eyebrow above it. Hearing that, it made me want to curl up and die right then and there.

_Don't show him any more weaknesses! The more you do, the easier it will be for him to manipulate you!_

I kept screaming this at myself, and I placed my hands on my hips. I felt like my legs were shaking, me knees quivering, and my hands trembling as they gripped onto the hem of my shirt. I felt utterly humiliated, even if he had just asked the question with seemingly no ill intent whatsoever.

"I don't what your deal is, but follow me. I still haven't shown you what I wanted you to see yet." With his usual smile, he began walking ahead and gesturing for me to follow him.

As he disappeared around a corner, I felt my feet boost by themselves and force me follow to begin following him. I turned the bend and I shielded my eyes from the sudden flash of light that threatened to blind me directly. Unable to see, I began to walk forward blindly. I took a step, than two. Taking more, I began to speed up.

Just before I could break into a run, I felt his hand pull my arm and yank me back.

I felt my feet tread over empty air for a moment, before I struck a solid and warm object behind me. It instantly made me feel safer, and that it would never fall no matter how many times I fell against it for safety.

"You okay?" Izayoi's voice emanated from directly above me, and I felt my heart stop for a crucial moment. I squeaked, unable to form a proper protest, and I jumped away. Bracing myself against the nearby rock wall, I leaned on it. My legs had already begun to lose their strength.

"Y-Y-Y-YEAH!" My voice came out as a shout, despite my desperate attempts to keep from speaking at all. I struck my inner self once again, and Izayoi just eyed me.

"...well, that aside, this is the spot. Look over there." Izayoi said, leaning casually against the rock wall. He stared towards something behind me, light reflecting in his eyes.

I turned around to see the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on since my arrival in Little Garden.

We were high above the forest, which was displayed below us as smaller patches of green and light brown. In between, there were clearings that showcased the beautiful light green of the grass. And in the middle of some of those clearings, the forest made way for beautiful and sparkling lakes and streams. Those bodies of water, shining with the light of the sun in a brilliant shade of blue, were connected to each other to one larger river that connected to the sea. We could see the ocean from here, if not only a very miniscule portion of it, and it looked amazing. The color was even deeper than that of the lakes below us, and it was even more striking than the sky.

The sun itself was a small circle that was cut in half as it was laid on the horizon, shining brightly. It was setting, so it was all the more beautiful. With shades of orange, yellow and red tinting the sky with its paint, the sun was dazzlingly gorgeous as it fit in perfectly with the landscape. The clouds, their normal white and fluffy form, were dyed in shades of purple and orange.

The scenery was breathtaking, stunning and every other word that could possibly describe beauty.

Seeing this somehow filled me with a kind of contentment, a kind of indescribable happiness. I felt warm inside, like I had just eaten an extremely satisfied meal. I felt a smile slowly spread across my face inadvertently, but I didn't try to hide it at all. In fact, I continued to gaze at the picturesque view with the grin ready for any and all to see.

I felt the wind blow past for a moment, and the cool sensation sent goosebumps down my skin. I shivered in delight at the sensation striking me in tandem with the sight of the setting sun in full view and filling me with warmth.

"...I brought you here for two reasons." Izayoi said, his eyes closed as he leaned on the rock face. I had nearly forgotten he was there, and I had jumped slightly at the sound of his voice.

"One: I wanted to talk to you alone."

I felt my body freeze.

_Talk to me..._

_Alone?!_

Instantly, my emotions exploded in my head as it tried to rearrange itself properly. I had no idea why I was reacting this way to everything he was doing and saying. If it were fear alone, I must really be afraid of Izayoi.

"Secondly: I thought you might like this place. It would help in my conversation with you."

And my messed-up emotions suddenly died down and was outshone by a burning curiosity far stronger.

"...why did you want to talk to me, then?" Unbelievably, my voice sounded perfectly normal for the first time since this venture of ours.

Izayoi smiled a small smile, one that only occupied the edges of his mouth slightly, and he leaned back more. As he stretched his arms and cracked his neck, he spoke.

"You're part of us now. Whoever you used to be, whether you're a Queen or a beggar on the road, doesn't mean anything when you're one of the No-Names. We are a community, and we still look out for each other. Even the three of us, Asuka, Yō and I, watch each other's backs and trust each other. We believe in each other's strength, and we watch each other's backs because we know we can leave it up to the other person. We've been a trio for months, and this is how we've managed to make it this far."

He pushed himself off the rock face and stared out towards the twinkling sunset.

"...we want to be able to leave our backs to you. We'd train you a little easier, but now we have a big game coming up. This game can decide whether or not we stay together...and whether or not you'll be able to see this sunset again."

That statement stopped me dead.

This view has filled me with new strength and new determination, and it has become something memorable and unforgettable. I...

Want to be able to see this sunset once again.

_With you here, next to me, too..._

The thought remained in my head for too long, and I suddenly noticed that my gaze had fallen onto Izayoi for far too long. As he returned my gaze, I felt the blood rush to me head faster than my magic reaches my fist, and I averted my look as quickly as possible.

_Aren't I supposed to be afraid of him?! Why would I want him here with me?!_

"...don't be afraid of me, or Asuka, or anyone else." I felt his hand being placed on mine, and I looked back at him. He just gave me another cocky and smug smile, like he usually does, and rubbed the top of my head.

"I'm going to keep you safe, and protect you. So, don't be afraid of me. And in return, do me a favor."

I tilted my head, not understanding his meaning.

And he turned back to me, a mischievous glint in his eye standing out from the light reflected from the crimson and orange sun.

"Make things fun."


	6. Chapter 5: Inspiration

Chapter 5: Inspiration_  
_

"Hah!"

With a strong cry, I watched as Yuuji extended his arm. From his palm, powerful white flames erupted and licked the air like tongues. The light they emitted painted the floor below us and in front of him a dazzling display of white, red, orange, blue and yellow. I felt my eyes protest to directly gazing at the blaze, and I squinted to keep them open.

I could feel the heat, despite my being 30 yards away. And I could tell that this wasn't his true power. He had far more up his sleeve, like when I had dueled him in the forest all those days ago.

Yuuji extinguished the flames and let his arm fall to his side, and he smiled proudly.

_A mage...huh?_

Behind me, I could hear Yō clapping rapidly and cheerfully, as well as Asuka's slow and respectful applause. I sighed and clapped thrice before I pushed myself off the bench. I walked over to the boy and patted him on the shoulder.

"Not bad, kid. Keep that up, and you'll be fine in the battle." I complimented him, to which he nodded and smiled hesitantly at me. He quickly removed himself from my grasp and ran over to his sister, and then they started talking and laughing amongst themselves.

_So he's still afraid of me, huh?_

I sighed and turned to Asuka and Yō, who were also sitting on a bench together a ways from me. I gestured for them to approach me, to which they shot me inquisitive looks. I gestured again, and the two stood up and walked over to me.

"What is it?" Asuka asked me sourly, her arms crossed as she stared down at me from her higher vantage point. I could feel the slight irritation emanating from her, to which I just laughed to myself at.

"Don't you think that Yuuji's magic...could be put to better use?" I proposed, my ideas beginning to flow out from my head and into my mouth, becoming words. Asuka just tilted her head at the mention of the topic.

"Well...yeah. If he could get stronger, then we'd h-"

"No. That's not what I'm talking about." I interrupted her, waving a hand in front of her face dismissively. While I could feel her ego about to erupt, Kasukabe cut into the conversation with a save.

She also seemed to understand what I was getting at.

"...you want Yuuji to teach Asuka magic, right?"

"Exactly. I'm surprised you could tell what I was thinking so easily, Yō. Very good of you." I was honestly startled at the casualness of her reading into my intentions, even if I hadn't said anything. I complimented her on this, and I patted her head a bit. She bent down to accommodate me, even looking like she was enjoying the sensation of my hand on her head.

She was even exhibiting a very healthy and pronounced blush on her cheeks.

_She must really enjoy being patted, huh?_

In contrast to that, Asuka's face suddenly became reminiscent of a demon in its level of scariness. She was clearly giving off a bad vibe, though for what reason I couldn't tell. She walked over, her feet stomping hard on the ground despite her heels, and she grabbed Kasukabe by the collar of her leather suit and pulled her back up to a standing position.

"Disregarding that...you want me to learn magic from Yuuji? Why?" She asked the question so nonchalantly I almost failed to place my hand onto my forehead in exasperation and disbelief.

"You're a smart girl, Asuka, so why haven't figured this out yet?"

Our formation consisted of this.

Yō and I were the ones who beat things up on the front line, and Asuka was mostly a mid-ranged fighter who also fought on the front lines. She has the capability of becoming a far-ranged wrecker, what with Deen's red energy cannon. However, that alone would not make her a good ranged attacker.

She'd only be the occasional artillery portion of our formation that was deprived of a proper ranged assist.

With the assistance of Sakura and Yuuji, our formation has increased its potential. With Sakura, Kasukabe and I on the front lines, we're perfectly capable of handling the melee section of our battles.

With Yuuji now on our side, we were capable of executing a good portion of ranged warfare. We didn't even know just how powerful the boy could get, but he looked promisingly like our far-range Ace in the Hole.

If we could get Asuka, the other portion of our backside, to learn some arcane arts and become capable of fending off monsters with magic, then we'd make a very strong team.

Explaining all of this to Asuka took only a minute or two.

By the end of the conversation, she nodded and stood back up. Her eyes, now burning with a little bit of challenge, sought out the boy that would become her mentor. Running away from us, she made her way over to the pair of siblings on one of the other benches in the room.

I smiled to myself and stood up, walking towards the other exit that was on my side of the room. As I shuffled over to the door, I could hear the tapping of leather boots behind me.

"...you're not going to ask me where I'm going?" I didn't turn around. I didn't have to.

"...I don't have to. Wherever you're going, I'm going to follow. I believe that you'll...keep me alive at the very least. Besides, I think I know where you're going."

"Oh?" I couldn't help but feel that Kasukabe was beginning to frighten me with her perception, and I turned around to face her.

"Just where do you think I'm going?"

She just stared at me back, her eyes never wavering.

"You're going to see Shiroyasha, leader of the Thousand Eyes. Aren't you?"

* * *

"Teach you magic?"

I was not expecting one of the impossibly strong three, Asuka Kudou, to approach me and request for such a thing.

If anything, she could make do without it.

But after listening to Izayoi's explanation, I could understand why he had decided to make this idea.

I stood up from the bench, letting my sleeping sister fall onto the metal headfirst, and walked up to one of the clearings. Ignoring the sound of my sister beginning to complain and whine while being half-asleep, I gestured for Asuka to follow me into the clearing. She complied without a word, her arms crossed and her expression scrutinizing.

I could feel the analytical air that surrounded Asuka, like she was a sponge ready to absorb and process all the information I was going to tell her.

"Well, to start with..." I began. I held my palm out, and an orb of pure purple energy materialized in my hand. Asuka's eyes immediately fixed themselves on the sphere of arcane power in my hand.

"In Elkia, I learned how to wield magic from my grandfather. Before he died, that is. From that point on, I learned how to get better from the Archmage of our army."

"I see." Asuka replied curtly and shortly, her gaze never leaving the swirling orb of magic hovering above my palm. It pulsated and crackled with a gentle yet strong light that turned the floor indigo.

"Magic is not the creation nor is it the destruction of the elements. It is merely the concept and act of bending it to your will using your willpower and your spiritual energy." I explained it the same way my grandfather taught me years ago. I held the sphere outwards, and it traveled from my hand to the space in front of Asuka.

I could see it in her gaze, the eagerness to hold it in her hands. Her arms were already beginning to reach out towards it, and I smiled as I watched her.

The purple sphere came to rest a bit above Asuka's outstretched palms, and her expression lit up so happily it was almost like I had given a little girl candy. I couldn't help but laugh inwardly as Asuka played around with the magical orb.

Suddenly, her expression hardened, and she gazed longingly at the orb.

"...how did you create this? This doesn't look like any element to me."

"Very good of you. This is the pure essence of magic, Arcane Power. It is the symbolization and epitome of a mage's power. Only experienced mages can manipulate it, and it requires much more expertise to gather it into a single condensed form like that." I explained, and I felt so proud of myself for being able to teach someone magic.

"Hmm..."

Asuka's hands began to move around, and the orb followed her fingers as if it were connected by invisible string. It maneuvered easily through the air, trailing Asuka's movements. Her face was etched into an expression of near ecstasy as she began to dance with the orb lingering around her.

"...Asuka? Can we move on?" I tried to catch her attention, but her attention was enraptured by the shining light of magical energy.

"...let me try something."

She focused her attention onto the orb much more than before, and her fingers began to twitch in anticipation. Her eyes suddenly swapped gazes to the far wall.

She thrust her hand out with the ball flying over her palm, and it made a light humming sound. The ball shot out with terrifying speed, and I felt the wind toss my hair up violently. It sped across the floor and struck the far end of the underground training complex, creating a loud explosion with a noise worthy of high-grade explosives.

The smoking crater left behind by the impact was impossibly large, ranging 8 feet in radii by my rough estimate. I felt the breath leave my lungs, and I could hear the surprised exclamations from my sister on the side.

Asuka just looked sad, even with that. She turned back to me, her eyes wavering and shaking.

"I...didn't want to do that. Could you teach me how to make one?" Her voice had become completely different from her normal, commanding aura. It was now near submissive, almost downright cute in comparison.

I stared in disbelief at her, then back to the hole in the wall.

_Looks like I have a lot of work to do._

* * *

He was impertinent.

Some brat from the sticks who was arrogant, cocky and confident to the point of recklessness. He didn't know his place. He overstepped his bounds.

But I couldn't blame him.

I looked back to my followers. They were all littered around the room in various different positions, all knocked unconscious with the young man's bare fists.

He knew his place, that's for sure. He's reckless, arrogant, and cocky. He knows all that.

So why was he doing all of this stuff anyway? Did he have a death wish?

_No...he's just so strong, there's no point in trying to stop him. _

My guards were all hand-picked by me, and so their Gifts were all top-notch. One who was capable of manipulating the air around him, another who could make things explode just by glancing at them. And another whose raw strength was augmented by his Gift, making him capable of lifting houses with ease.

And he beat them all down without a scratch.

I sighed to myself and took a small peek behind the boy staring at me from the center of the room. In the spot where the door had been blown off its hinges, I could see Yō Kasukabe look back at me and wave with a smile on her face.

_These two are purely ridiculous. Idiotic. _

"Hey there, Shiroyasha. Mind if I chat you up for a bit?" Izayoi snickered, his arms crossed while leaning on one leg. I smiled in response and stood from my _seiza _position.

"Very well, then. But let's go somewhere else, where the view is far more beautiful than this...grisly sight you've made in my room."

As I walked over to the balcony in my room, I caught a glimpse of Izayoi signaling his friend to wait by the broken door.

_Either he believes he can take me on himself, or he trusts that I won't attempt to fight him._

I threw the doors open and walked outside, gesturing for him to follow me with a wave of my hand. He complied in an unforgivably casual manner, his hands in his pockets and his confident grin still plastered onto his face.

The balcony connected to my room was similar to a garden terrace, with chairs, tables and a miniature garden of flowers and herbs. The aroma of the whole area was very relaxing, not to mention the pleasure of inhaling the fused scent.

I walked to my usual seat, and I dragged the chair up and sat myself in it. I motioned for Izayoi to do the same. He took the chair opposite mine and plopped down onto it unceremoniously. It was nearly disrespectful, the way he had just dropped himself onto the chair.

"And so? Why have you come out here? If it's about Black Rabbit's skirt, then I'm going to give you the same answer. No."

He shook his head in reply.

"No, that's not why I'm here today."

"Then speak. I don't have a lot of time to waste with you." I felt my patience begin to run thin, and I began wondering when I had become a Demon Lord with a short fuse.

_It won't do for me to be so short-tempered. _

My vision suddenly refocused as a paper was slid in my field of vision. I blinked, and then looked a bit closer.

It was a Geass Roll.

More specifically, it was **that **Geass Roll.

The one that's been giving me a headache ever since I remembered co-creating it with Black Rabbit a few months ago over a bunch of drinks. My head had been dulled and made fuzzy by the various kinds of alcohol that we had both drank that night, and we ended up creating that nonsensical Gift Game.

Unbefitting of my role.

"...I can tell just by your expression that you don't want to talk about this."

His words hit home.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't care about some paltry Gift Game like this with a community on this side of the world. I would only be worried if it were another Demon Lord or a community on the Upper Levels. And even if that were the case, I would not be too concerned. After all, I knew enough about those communities to keep a level head.

But if it were against the No-Names, it would be horribly humiliating to lose. Even if there wasn't some sort of appalling punishment in store for us at the end of the Game, we'd be stripped of our reputation, power and status. We'd be ostracized by the higher levels of Little Garden.

And I couldn't have that if I wanted to achieve my goal.

The scariest part of this...was that there was a very high chance of our team members losing. We would not be disbanded, instead absorbed into the No-Names. In that sense, it was not that bad of an obligation. The No-Names were certainly kind, and with a higher sense of justice.

And packed with extremely powerful heroes.

A thought crossed my mind. It had come to my head before, and I had dismissed the idea every time that it had dared to try. Simply because it was too dangerous. Too risky. Too crazy. Too reckless. It was more of an idea than a plan, with higher chances of failing than succeeding, and I had no idea on how to follow up on it.

And the worst part of that idea was-

-if I were to share it with Izayoi, Kasukabe, and Asuka, they would undoubtedly agree.

But...

The small part of me that still wanted to try that idea out...to make things more interesting...was burning and flickering in my body. My soul felt like it was crying out for more interesting and fun things to happen.

Drama. Suspense. Action. Fun.

I've been a Demon Lord for ages, yet I was more childish than most young children. It sickened me to the stomach, yet I knew more than anyone that my nature wouldn't change. Once you reach my age, your personality is practically set in stone, after all.

An immortal being loves to play around after all. And in this world where prizes were bet on Games, what kind of immortal wouldn't want in on some of the action?

I felt my whole being, inner and physical, sigh heavily. Purging all of the idle thoughts and negative emotions through that single sigh, I turned my attention back to Izayoi.

"...I'd rather talk about it than leave it at a misunderstanding."

"Do you intend to follow through on the game?"

"...Of course I do. The Geass Roll is already made, anyway. Like I have a choice in the matter now."

"True enough."

Izayoi chuckled in response, doubling over and leaning on the table in between us with an elbow.

"...mind telling me what your real goal is? Even if you were drunk, you wouldn't make something like this without a proper reason in mind."

I froze up for a moment.

_...I can't keep anything hidden from this one, can I?_

"Let's make an agreement right here and now." I blurted out. Izayoi raised an eyebrow, but he didn't even look all that surprised.

I wouldn't be surprised if he had anticipated this either.

"And that would be?"

"If the No-Names lose this battle, then we'll just go along with whatever you say. You can absorb us, destroy us...whatever you like."

_He's saying such a heavy thing with such a straight face?!_

It's either his cockiness or his confidence.

Both are cut from a similar cloth.

"But if the No-Names win...I want to hear more about your little idea."

I smiled in spite of myself and the situation we were both in. We were both placing our communities on the line, yet we were only interested in one thing. I knew he was interested in the same thing as I was.

Because we were more alike than I liked to admit.

I held out my hand, and he shook it accordingly.

_It's alright. _

"...since it's you, I'll give you a little sneak peek ahead of the rest of them."

"I am _so _honored for you to go out of your way, Demon Lord Shiroyasha."

Of course, his sarcastic tone did not match his words at all. His sneer and stare were very lacking in and kind of respect. Instead, he was more intent on what I was about to say.

His eyes, having been in their cocky and arrogant phase this whole time, suddenly shot off a different aura.

He had gotten serious.

"And so? What's your little idea?"

I drew back my experiences and memories of my early years as a Demon Lord. It was a very long road to get where I am now. It had been a very challenging time, and I knew that it was only going to get harder from here on out. One of my oldest and rawest, not to mention selfish, desires began to resurface.

I remember that one time.

It was the only time I'd ever been defeated so utterly, it was as if I couldn't do anything about it. My comrades had been taken, and so was the majority of my power and authority. I had been stripped of my rightful place in the higher echelons of Little Garden's Demon Lords.

I was one of the minor Demon Lords who chose to defy and rise against one of the most powerful communities in all of Little Garden.

**Kasai**

A community of extreme power whose sole strength was the complete and utter destruction of any and all who choose to seek a Gift Game with them, whether it be casual or risky.

They chose the path of domination. They chose to mow down those who they can defeat with a glance and a wave of their hand.

And for those that give them a hard time, they chose to take under their wing for the pursuit of greater strength.

But now, they were just a passive community who grew fat on their strength and riches after centuries of winning and winning.

And their leader was the perfect embodiment of that crude and horrid greed.

**Kagutsuchi **

A powerful fire spirit whose control over his element was only surpassed by his narcissism and greediness. The former leader before him was not that kind of a person, but he was just and honorable. Kagutsuchi, on the other hand, was a dirty fighter who wasn't afraid to break the rules just to attain victory.

A stark and disgusting contrast to Kasai's old and chivalrous way of fighting.

And Kasai was only one of four.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and clearing away the unpleasant memories, and stared Izayoi deep into his eyes. He smiled and let out a whistle.

"Looks like this isn't an issue I can take lightly. Your eyes have changed. They're more passionate and emotional."

"I wish to defeat the Four Great Demon Communities that defeated my rash and overconfident past self. They were once great, honorable and powerful communities that would have remained unmatched if their leaders had not retired and gone into hiding. But now they have been blinded by their selfish desires, forgetting what they used to be. Now, they only use their power for their own purposes."

I clenched my fist, attempting to hold in my rage and anger. I had allowed myself to be defeated by such unworthy communities.

As a Demon Lord, that shame on my past was irremovable and unforgivable.

Izayoi's eyes narrowed, turning into the eyes of a predator. I could nearly feel his brain analyzing my words like a cold mist in the air.

"...sounds interesting."

* * *

_...he's sure taking a while. _

I shifted from my left leg to my right as I thought this, and I couldn't help but loose a sigh. I walked to the wall, right next to the wooden debris that was once the door, and I leaned my back on it. Being careful to avoid the unconscious guards on the ground, who were still moaning in pain, I couldn't help but admire the brutal scene.

Even in their 'sleep', they could feel the blows that Izayoi had dealt them.

I called to mind my visual recollection of just how exactly it had taken place.

First, a large man with a _naginata _rushed him and attempted to stab him through his stomach. Izayoi simply batted the pole aside and took it from the man's startled hands. With a heave, he broke the weapon and knocked the attacker unconscious with the blunt section of the weapon before discarding it.

Next, a large woman who looked like a hybrid of a tiger and a human charged him with weapons that looked like bladed tonfas. He ducked and swept the girl off her feet, then grabbed her body in midair with a single hand and smashed her backside onto his knee. He tossed her at the next enemy, who was a middle-aged human who looked like he was flying.

The man had dodged by flying to the side. But Izayoi picked up the blunt section of the _naginata _again and tossed it extremely hard at his head. It hit straight home, flying at a speed that made the wind whistle and speed up so strongly that I could almost see it. With that, the man in midair was down for the count.

The next two enemies who approached him were two women wielding twin _katanas_. One attempted to slash him in the ankle and his thigh, and the other somersaulted over the first girl and attempted to cleave his neck. They looked as if the second girl was tumbling over the first girl, except that she was performing a midair flip directly over her back as she attacked Izayoi.

What he did in response was incredibly mortifying.

Instead of backing off or catching the blades like he usually would have done, or even just taking the hit just to make the girls overconfident, he performed a somersault as well.

He timed it perfectly so that the lower blades barely nicked his legs, while the upper blades would graze past his cheek.

I could see the expressions on their face. I was pretty sure it was similar to mine. Baffled, amazed, call it what you will.

There was no beating him.

Mid-somersault, he spun once and performed a spinning axe kick onto the girl on top. The force reverberated throughout the whole room as the woman landed directly onto her ally and knocked her out as well.

And suddenly, an explosion boomed out from the floor and rendered Izayoi invisible in the following smoke.

A final man, dressed in heavy armor similar to a _samurai_, drew a massive greatsword that was clearly heavier and larger than a _sumo _wrestler. I shuddered at the thought of it striking anyone.

He let out an incredibly loud yell and swung the sword horizontally into the smoky area of the room in the blind faith that his opponent couldn't see him or his attack.

I knew better, though.

And just like I suspected, I saw his form slowly emerge from the dust.

He had held his left hand outwards casually and caught the ridiculously sized weapon in his palm as if it were nothing but a stone or a ball. I could see a small droplet of blood ooze from his hand and fall to the floor, and the enemy's eyes glinted.

Whether it was a glint of bloodlust or a glint of fear, I wasn't sure.

It was probably the second one, though.

With a roar, Izayoi ripped the sword from the enemy's hands and threw it into the far side of the wall. It buried itself in the Japanese-style construction, letting out a sound like a tuning fork.

Izayoi rushed forward and grabbed the enemy's helmet in his right hand.

And his grip tightened.

Within seconds, the helmet shattered under Izayoi's hand, and the face of the man was revealed. And he was afraid, no doubt. That face was later tarnished with a powerful kick to the jaw that sent him into the ceiling.

Amazingly, he struck the ceiling and rebounded back to the floor.

And then Izayoi spun once and performed another kick that was timed perfect to strike the back of his neck. The attack sent him spiraling to the right, crashing into the wall and creating a massive hole.

_Really...he went overboard. _

I went back to the massive sword stuck in the wall and admired its handiwork and the light that shone off of its blade. I slowly grasped the hilt and summoned my Gift to enhance my strength. I pulled the weapon out and examined it from head to toe.

It was essentially a very ominous looking weapon. Its hilt was made of maroon wood, reinforced by steel that circled the bottom and top of the handle, which was big enough for me to handle using both hands with ease. The crossguard was a circle of black metal that was engraved with the depiction of a dragon.

The blade itself was hard and sharpened iron, clearly augmented by the use of magic-based Gifts. It was a single-edged blade, looking more like a monstrously crafted and sized _katana_ then a Bastard Sword or a Claymore. All along the back, which was dull in comparison to the front blade, red metal spikes jutted out like a porcupine's quills. They were very thick, the base of each spike being the size of my shoulder.

_...I guess I'll keep this. Guess I'll ask Black Rabbit if she has a sheath big enough for this. If not, I'll ask Shiroyasha._

I wasn't sure if I'd get it if I asked the Demon Lord, though. It does...did belong to her guard.

I looked around the unconscious figures, and I found a metallic sheath that looked perfect for the part. It was also bigger than me, as well.

I wasn't sure if I was supposed to use this, or if it's be better off with Izayoi or Sakura.

Suddenly, I felt extremely irritated. When I saw Sakura losing composure over Izayoi, the feeling that welled up within me was...unpleasant.

I felt my grip on the blade tighten without me wanting it to, and I sheathed it back into its respective place and strapped it onto my back.

It was surprisingly light, now that I had it secure.

"Hey, Kasukabe!"

By pure reflex, my neck twisted my head to face the direction from where the voice emanated.

It was Izayoi, who was walking back in the room with Shiroyasha. Both looked satisfied, a smirk on their faces. He gestured for me to follow him, which I did willingly.

As we exited the building and began walking back, silence dominated the conversational gap in between us. Izayoi just kept his eyes closed and his hands in his pockets as he walked, and I dared not to speak.

It would seem like a bother if I did, anyway.

Suddenly, he broke the silence.

He looked at me all of a sudden, and I felt the stare penetrate my body in a way I wasn't sure how to comprehend.

"...come to think of it, why did you go all leather-suit? You could have just made a replica of your old clothes? Though it's a bit late to ask."

I didn't really want to tell him the reason.

Since it was because I wanted us to look a little more alike, like having a set of matching clothes or something of the sort.

"...I thought it'd be an interesting change of-" I started to make up some sort of excuse. Some sort of lie to cover it up, when he cut me off.

"I know why, Kasukabe. But I'm not about to prioritize that kind of stuff just yet. Wait until after this Gift Game. That's when we can talk about this kind of stuff again."

The words...felt cold. Harsher then I wanted to feel, to be honest. It was like a cold needle being stuck down my chest.

And it boiled down to a single question.

_Do I like Izayoi? _

To be honest, thinking about him nowadays made me feel really different. A faster heartbeat, the sensation of my face heating up beyond my body temperature, and my thoughts beginning to drift towards thoughts that made my head spin with embarrassment.

The happiness of a woman. That's definitely what it was.

I'm not an idiot, and I'm pretty honest with myself. Admitting it to myself was fairly easy.

He makes me blush, makes my heart race and makes my thoughts drift astray.

Which is why I remember the looks that Asuka and Sakura were shooting his way, which were the same kinds of glances that were the result of girls in love yet unable to admit it.

I didn't hate any of them.

I certainly liked them. I loved them. My friends and comrades, who would watch my back and I would watch theirs. Regardless of time, that would never change.

But as I looked back to the boy walking beside me, his hair fluttering in the light breeze, my heart jumped again and I smiled.

I slowly let my hand creep towards his, and I entwined my fingers in his. He didn't seem to mind, and I laid my head on his shoulder.

_Asuka...Sakura..._

_When it comes to Izayoi, it's a battle between women!_

* * *

It took thirty minutes for them to explain it to me.

Sitting in _seiza _in front of me, Izayoi and Kasukabe had finished explaining to me just what they've been doing out while I was busy working. I had already whacked both of them with a paper fan, especially Izayoi. Multiple times for the boy.

It gave me an even bigger headache than I was used to.

"Seriously...I don't even know how you managed to slip out without anyone noticing..." I muttered to myself.

"Don't worry, I got a lot of practice."

I didn't understand what that meant, so I perked my rabbit ears up and listened a bit more intently. I wanted to know if what he was about to say was going to earn him a few more slaps with the paper fan.

"From peeping on you in the bath."

I slapped him with the fan 20 times.

* * *

And one week later, we were ready to take on Thousand Eyes.

Izayoi, Kasukabe, Asuka, Yuuji and Sakura were arranged horizontally in front of the arena.

"...we're ready as ever." Izayoi commented, his signature smile on his face.

"Maybe we'd have been ready sooner if you hadn't spent a good part of training trying to escape from the complex." Asuka retorted, her arms crossed with a stern expression on her face. Everyone just smiled exasperatedly.

The arena doors opened slowly, and beyond it...


End file.
